


Who We've Become

by WindInYourSail



Series: Wherever Is Your Heart [2]
Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-03
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:34:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 34,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22998514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WindInYourSail/pseuds/WindInYourSail
Summary: Rafael and Jolie... only present day (or you know... 2012 to whenever this particular storyline ends up ending).A/N: I'm writing this one around the episodes that share each chapter's title (under the assumption that the reader has seen the episode) and while I will reference The Nineties, this one picks up with an established home life for Barba. Each part of this series has a different feel, The Nineties is written during their college days and this one revisits the same characters with a little more maturity... most of the time.
Relationships: Rafael Barba/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Wherever Is Your Heart [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1652827
Comments: 102
Kudos: 74





	1. Twenty Five Acts

**Author's Note:**

> My plan with this one is to work my chapters around different episodes, taking a few liberties when needed. We'll see how this goes... I don't plan to hit every episode he's in, and I most likely won't touch Undiscovered Country... I'm not sure how it'd fit with the home life I'm creating for him. I've done it, but I'm not big on rewriting what happened on the show itself, and I assume most people reading this have seen them anyway. The chapters go along with the episode that shares their title.

Jolie stood at the bottom of the stairs in the two story penthouse her parents had gifted them as a wedding present. The place had been too big for them then, but they had both liked the layout and the location... not to mention they’d had every intention of one day growing their little family. She didn’t ascend the steps, instead simply shouted, leaning forward slightly as though that would carry her voice farther.

“Allison! Cate! Cy! I expect to see all three of you dressed and ready in thirty minutes!”

“Yes mom.” Came two replies, one groaned while the other sounded much more awake and chipper.

“Misa!” Still nothing. “Allison, get your brother up.” Her oldest groaned again. “I’m not asking.” It was a constant battle for Jolie to get her to do as she asked without argument.

“I got him.” Cate called down to her mother, the sound of her feet padding toward Misael’s room.

Jolie considered stopping her, forcing Allison to do what she’d asked, but instead thanked her middle child, took a breath, and headed down the hall repeating some mantra to herself about picking battles.

“Morning.” Rafael smirked when she joined him the kitchen.

“How I let you talk me into three I’ll never know.” Jolie sighed as she wrapped her arm around him, stealing a sip of his coffee.

“Uh…” his brows squished together, one elevated slightly higher than the other while his face contorted into an expression of mild amusement, “I’m pretty sure that was your idea and if I’m not mistaken, you got exactly what you wanted. Two girls and a boy.”

“Can’t I just blame you?” Jolie grumbled, moving to the coffee maker to pour herself a cup and top off her husbands.

Rafael chuckled. “You can, but it wont make it true.”

“Are you going to be late tonight?”

“Doubtful. I have an arraignment this afternoon, but I’m betting the defense takes a plea.” Rafael took the coffee from her, smiling mostly to himself as he brought it to his lips.

“I like this transfer to Manhattan, your commute is so much better and you don’t work as late, both of which get you home to me sooner.”

“I really doubt the not working late will last.”

“I know, but I can enjoy it while it does.” She smirked.

“Daddy!” Cate squealed as she entered the kitchen, the first of the three children.

“Hey cariño.” Rafael grinned, leaning down to hug her.

“¿Estás tarde? (Are you late?)” Her overly concerned blue eyes locked with his, but in her defense he was usually gone by the time they left for school.

“No,” Rafael ran his hand through his daughters hair, “I don’t have anything scheduled until this afternoon so I thought I’d spend the morning with my three favorite kids.”

Cate ran out of the room. “Allison! Misa! Dad’s having breakfast with us!” Her voice rang both up the stairs and back into the kitchen, much like her mother's had earlier. She quickly reappeared, dragging Rafael to sit next to her at the table.

Jolie finished making breakfast as their other two children joined them in the kitchen. The oldest, Allison, looking almost identical to her, blond hair, blue eyes, but all Rafael when it came to personality. Misael, the youngest, who was referred to as both Cy and Misa (Mee-sy) interchangeably, a miniature Rafael with Jolie’s interest in math. Then there was Cate, or Catalina, who seemed to be a mixture of both of them, his brown hair, her blue eyes, his quick wit and her empathy.

She loved each one of them unconditionally, but her oldest was the one currently making her question her life choices… like why the idea of having three teenagers under one roof at the same time hadn’t crossed her mind when she decided she wanted her kids close in age… and Allison was only eleven.

“Mom, we’re going to be late!” Allison whined as Jolie kissed Rafael goodbye.

“You know she only cares about being punctual because you’re kissing me.” Rafael smirked.

Jolie chuckled, intentionally prolonging the embrace to annoy her daughter. “I know.”

“Mooommm...” Allison groaned from the front door, tugging her backpack higher on the shoulder it was dangling from. The other two kids waiting next to her, looking equally impatient… something Jolie attributed to Allison’s influence since neither had seemed upset by a little PDA the week before.

“She’s been stuck with us for eleven years, you’d think she’d be used to this by now.”

Rafael chuckle leaning in to quickly kiss her again. “Have a good day.”

“You too.” She smiled before giving into her daughter’s whines. “Can you please refrain from acting like a teenager until you actually are one?” Jolie scolded, following her children out the door.

Allison ignored her, knowing better than to roll her eyes, choosing instead to hurry down the hall as quickly as she could to call the elevator.

The day had gone almost exactly as Rafael had expected it to. Paperwork for the plea deal was in place for the morning, a new case picked up, and he’d been able to leave early enough to meet up with his family for dinner. Two meals with his kids indicated a good day.

“How was work?” He asked, giving Jolie a kiss before sitting at the table, his oldest groaning at the brief display of affection.

“Not bad. I’ve been sorting through data for an investigative report on trafficking and abuse in third world countries by US government contractors, which is depressing, but I think it will get some movement. There’s already some bipartisan congressional interest.” Jolie replied, handing him the menu left for him that had some how ended up under hers.

She had taken a job with the ACLU’s New York office shortly after graduation but started her own nonprofit a few years later, focusing on abused and trafficked women and children. This particular project had brought her back to working closely with the ACLU again.

“What are they trafficking?” Allison picked a piece of bread up, trying to act less interested than she really was.

“People. They give out loans to help them move to a better location but when they get there they’re expected to work jobs that don’t pay them enough to ever get out of debt.” Jolie made a face at Rafael because it was so much worse than that.

For the most part they talked vaguely but freely in front of their children, wanting them to communicate with other adults easily. There were some things though that they skirted around the gruesome details of seeing as the children were only nine, ten, and eleven years old.

“How was your day?” Jolie asked Rafael, changing the subject before her daughter could ask more questions.

“They took the plea.” He smirked at the fact that he had been right.

She chuckled at how pleased with himself he was. “You’re cute.”

“Captain Harris stopped by my courtroom today. Brought two detectives with him.”

“I always liked him.” Jolie smiled.

“You know you’re one of the few people who says that.”

“That’s just because he doesn’t stick around long enough for people to get to know him.” Jolie smirked. “I assume he brought you a new case.”

“Yeah. It definitely won’t be as easy as the one from today.” Rafael looked at his children before adding, “I’ll tell you about it later.”

“Jocelyn Paley’s the author of that S&M book right?” Jolie’s eyes found him through the reflection in her vanity mirror, her hands busy slipping the back of her earring off. It was late, both of them having ensured their children were in bed, or at least their respective rooms, a while ago.

“Twenty Five Acts why,” he smirked, lifting an eyebrow, “have you read it?”

“No,” Jolie moved across the room so that she stood in front of him, smiling when his arm wrapped around her, “though Blake suggested I should.”

“She think we need to spice things up?”

“No, she just enjoyed it and thought I might.” Jolie pushed up to her toes to kiss him and he hummed against her lips, pulling her tighter to his chest. He was guiding her towards their bed when the bedroom door burst open.

“Mom! Dad!” Allison yelled with Misael trailing not far behind.

Jolie turned to the two kids that had barged into their room as Rafael stood behind her in an attempt to hide his bodies reaction to what he and his wife were about to do from his children.

“You got this right?” He almost begged, pressing himself against her as if to explain why.

“I do,” She smirked glancing over her shoulder at him, “as long as you can stay that way until I get back.”

Rafael opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by his oldest daughter. “Mom!”

“Yes Allison.” Jolie sighed turning her attention to the angry eleven year old, walking the two kids back toward their rooms.

“Cy took my pen.” She huffed holding up the pen he had taken.

“I was only borrowing it.” Misael argued.

“Did you ask if you could borrow it?” Jolie questioned.

“No.” Misael sighed.

She smiled at her youngest. “If you don’t ask first it’s not borrowing.”

“I know.” He sulked, leaving her with Allison when they reached his room.

“That’s it?” Allison complained.

“Do you have the pen back?” 

“Yes but...”

“It’s a pen Allison. You need to learn some patience with him.”

“How will he learn not to take what isn’t his if he doesn’t get in trouble for the small stuff.” Allison countered.

“And the punishment should fit the crime. If it had been something larger than a pen I would have done more than talk to him.” Jolie reasoned. “Now it’s late, and you should be in bed.”

“Fine.” Allison grumbled leaving her mom as she hurried off to her bedroom.

Jolie shook her head as she made her way back to the master suite. She had started to lock the door when she noticed her husband was emitting a slow steady breath from where he'd laid down on her side of the bed.

“Sooo not the twenty five year old I married.” She chuckled to herself as she switched off the light and crawled onto his side, pulling the covers over them as she curled up with her back against his chest.

“We can still...” He half mumbled in her ear without even opening his eyes.

“It’s ok. We both need sleep.” She replied, reaching behind her to basically pet him since she missed his hair and got his shoulder instead.

“I love you.” He hummed.

“Love you too.” She smiled.

She was pacing, too irritated with the piece of news that had filtered through to her work day… the only thing anyone had been able to talk about. Not only had the entire afternoon been wasted by idle chatter, but the derailment had been caused by her own husbands rather reckless behavior in court. The only thing not making her afternoon worse had been the fact that only two people in the room knew who she was married to.

“A belt!” Jolie yelled as Rafael walked into the living room. “You goaded Adam Cain into choking you in open court with a belt!” She continued undeterred by his amused look.

“It helped the jury see who he really was.” He smirked.

“Rafael...” She scolded.

“Your face is even better than Rita’s was.”

“Rita Calhoun?” The had both been working late, Jolie quietly crunching numbers in their home office, Rafael stuck at work or the new precinct. He hadn’t been able to tell her much about the trail.

“She was Cain’s defense attorney.”

“I really hate that she switched sides…” her eyes drifted to the floor as she shook her head, then quickly cut back up to her husband, “and also not the point.”

“I’m fine, look for yourself.” He smiled, pulling his collar aside for her to see his neck. Jolie moved him into better light to examine him, ignoring his chuckle as he tripped over his own feet in an attempt to keep up. “How’d you find out anyway?”

“I spent my day in an office full of attorneys. Our entire afternoon meeting was derailed, not to mention Blake called.” Jolie replied, smiling once she was satisfied he was ok.

“I assume she heard from Casey.” He grumbled, rolling his eyes dramatically.

Blake and Casey had gotten married a year after them and Casey never could keep things from his wife. Rafael barely got to tell Jolie about anything big at the Brooklyn DA’s office because Blake had already told her. He had kind of hoped that would change now that he’d transferred to the Manhattan DA’s office since Casey was still in Brooklyn.

He glanced around, noticing the house was unusually quiet. “Where are the kids?”

“At my parents. I thought I was going to yell at you longer.” She smiled.

Rafael smirked, moving a bit closer. “Are they staying the night?”

“Yep. My dad promised to get them up and to school in the morning.” 

“You want to finish what we started the other night?” Hands slid around her sides, resting on the small of her back.

“You don’t have to prep for trial tomorrow?” 

“Summations were made this afternoon.”

Jolie chuckled, slipping her hand in his as she dragged him toward the stairs. “You’re going to be ridiculously gloaty if this works aren’t you?”

“I do not gloat.”

She glanced over her shoulder, pausing on the second step so she appeared taller than him despite her tiny stature. “You sure about that?”

“Just get up stairs.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise Jolie will meet the SVU detectives, they just need to work with Barba for a little while first.


	2. Lessons Learned

Jolie stretched, feeling for Rafael next to her only to find his side of the bed empty. Glancing at the clock told her it was almost five, earlier than she needed to get up and typically earlier than Rafael woke as well, but she also knew he had a lot of files piling up on his desk. Instead of closing her eyes and drifting back to sleep, she crawled out of bed to join her husband in the bathroom.

“What time did your alarm go off?” She called over the sound of the shower.

“Four thirty. Why are you up?”

“I noticed you were gone.” Jolie shrugged, ignoring the smirk she could see through the foggy glass.

“Are you working from home today?”

Jolie leaned against the counter, pulling herself to sit so that her feet dangled above the floor. “I’ll go into the office for most of the day, the foundation needs some attention.” The water cut off and shower door opened. “Did you have time for lunch?”

Rafael shook his head, bringing his towel clad body in front of her, inching himself between her legs. “Doubtful.”

“Dinner?”

“Probably.” His lips moved toward hers and she leaned as far back as the mirror would allow.

“I haven’t brushed my teeth yet.” Rafael shook his wet hair so that the water flew onto her, grinning when she squealed. “Rafael!”

“What? You’re about to shower anyway.”

“Actually I was going to have coffee first.” Jolie grumbled, attempting to brush the water from her face and nightshirt. “Your hair is ridiculously thick…”

“Would you rather the opposite?”

Her hands reached up, tugging the damp locks into a mess of short unruly spikes. “I’d rather it be a little longer.”

“I’ll skip my next haircut then.” His lips found hers and she gave in, tugging him closer. It wasn’t exactly a fair move on his part, he knew once the kiss started she’d cave. He lessened the kiss, pressing his forehead to hers. “You really do need to brush your teeth.”

Jolie smacked his chest with the back of her hand, pushing him so she could climb off the counter. “Go get coffee going while I get ready.”

Rafael chuckled and moved toward their closet. “Are you making pancakes?”

“For the kids.”

“Oh, ok.” He smirked, knowing full well she’d make him some as well.

Jolie had the batter for the pancakes mixed, plastic wrap covering the bowl and her coffee in hand when he entered the kitchen fully dressed for the day. She was in pj’s and her hair was still wet from her shower, but she didn’t actually have to be ready for a couple hours.

He glanced at the covered bowl and frowned. She hated Seran wrap and would only remove the clingy plastic when she was ready to toss it in the garbage. In addition to the pancake batter that was clearly set aside for closer to when their children would actually be awake, the kitchen appeared clean. A pan was set on the stove but didn’t appear to have been used.

Jolie grinned behind her coffee cup. “Did you want something?”

“You were serious about only making pancakes for the kids?” She didn’t even bother to hide her amusement at his pout, flipping the oven light on so he could see the pancakes she had warming in the oven. “You seriously cleaned the kitchen so I would suspect you made those?”

“Just the spatula and pan, everything else is still in the sink to be cleaned while our heathens are eating.”

Rafael rolled his eyes and moved to pull two plates from the cabinet. “Are you eating with me?”

“There’s no way I won’t unnecessarily snap at our oldest if I don’t.”

Rafael chuckled, watching her pull the pancakes out of the oven. “You really are temperamental when you’re hungry and tired.”

Jolie lifted a brow and he grinned while playfully holding a plate out for her to place food on. “You’re lucky you’re cute.” She slip two pancakes onto his plate and then two onto hers. “You’d be even cuter in suspenders.”

He had on a pink and blue striped shirt that almost appeared lilac from a distance and a navy blue tie with a tiny lilac design evenly spaced into a grid along the fabric. The black slacks were paired with a matching jacket that hung from the back of a chair at their kitchen table allowing his black belt to be seen.

“I don’t always wear suspenders.”

“You should.”

Rafael smiled and took a bite of his pancake. He knew the moment he took the jacket off she’d make a comment about his suspenders, but he didn’t have any he could pair with the tie. That wasn’t a bit of information he’d share though... not if he didn’t want to return home that evening to ten new sets of suspenders. Jolie had the means to get the task accomplished even if she didn’t have time to make the purchase herself. Marisol, her mothers personally shopper, had stopped by his office unannounced one day to examine the shirt he was wearing that he had merely commented on not going with much earlier that morning. When he’d arrived home, Jolie had two new suits and a handful of ties and other accessories that would pair nicely with the shirt. It was an attempt to be helpful, not dress him, something he was thankful for given his busy schedule but also found extravagant and unnecessary. He wouldn’t tell her that either.

Rafael had been home for dinner most nights that week, but his mind had been elsewhere… constantly working through whatever case he’d picked up. He hadn’t been that vocal about it. This night hadn’t been much different except he appeared almost disgruntled. Jolie opened her mouth to ask him about it when Allison spoke instead.

“What the hell are we listening to?”

“Uh… try that again.” Rafael tone was harsh, his mood from work carrying over in way he usually tried to avoid. He closed his mouth, but didn’t apologize, instead waited for his daughter to adjust her behavior.

“Sorry…” Allison sounded sheepish. Her mother she’d drive to the brink of insanity but not her father. She was very much a daddy’s girl… one of the few personality traits she shared with her mother. “What _music_ are you introducing us to now?”

Jolie rolled her eyes and turned her music down slightly. She had been blaring it while cooking dinner. “Sarcasm aside, it’s The Dropkick Murphy’s.”

“Aren’t you supposed to listen to old people music?”

“Old people music?” Jolie chuckled.

“You know… not punk or whatever.”

“I’ve listened to punk music for over half my life…” she smirked at her daughter, “I hate to break it to you but that’s not changing anytime soon.”

“It’s not all you listen to.” Allison sassed back.

“Never was.”

Allison pursed her lips and narrowed her brow. “I still don’t get it…”

“This music made me into the person I am. I grew up with everything I needed or wanted, much like you, and your grandfather has never been that involved in philanthropy. Don’t get me wrong, he donates to certain charities, it just isn’t a focus. Most of these bands include a handful of political issues on each album. They care about animal rights, human rights, equality… the working man… and while not every song is written to make a statement, they still opened my eyes to inadequacies at a relatively young age.”

“That was way more information than I wanted.” Jolie groaned in frustration and Allison giggled. “I get it. Despite the fast pace of the music the meaning behind it is what you’re into.”

“It’s got a little more to it than ‘here’s my number, so call me maybe.’” Jolie had heard the Carly Rae Jepsen song coming from her daughters room almost every morning that week, having it stuck in her head more days than she had cared.

“Really?” This time both Rafael and Allison chuckled as _Kiss Me, I’m Shitfaced_ started.

“I said not every song… this ones just meant to be funny.” She quickly shut off the music before it got to the more inappropriate lyrics she’d prefer her daughter not hear at eleven… at least not while she was actually paying attention to the lyrics…

“What’s been eating you all week?” Jolie crawled in bed, cuddling closer to her husband.

His arms wrapped around her, gently squeezing as he exhaled. “Just this case… or lack of one. Detective Benson,” he paused to look at Jolie, “the one from special victims…”

“The pushy one,” Jolie nodded that she knew who he was referencing, “you’ve mentioned her.”

“Right, she convinced me to take on this case, trying to hold Manor Hill accountable for creating a culture of abuse and neglect since the actual crimes happened too long ago to prosecute. I should have stuck with my gut…”

“Which was?” Her fingers trailed along the seam lining the collar of his t-shirt.

“That there wasn’t a case to be made.”

Jolie paused the motion of her hand and made eye contact with him. “Why is she pushing the case then?”

“She has a savior complex or something… thinks she can heal everyone.”

Jolie’s hand resumed its motion as her head rested on his chest. “You can’t save anyone if you don’t try.”

“Great,” he grumbled, “you’re on her side.”

“Did you expect anything else?” Jolie grinned, pushing up to kiss him.

Rafael was muttering to himself as he passed his family in the living room where his children were watching a movie while Jolie read a book on the couch. It was the third time this week he’d passed them in a disgruntled state. She knew the grand jury hadn’t gone as planned, that his main witness had OD’d when the stress of testifying became too much… that Detective Benson hadn’t given up. He put too much on himself to prove something he had proven long ago. Jolie sat her book down and followed him, jumping back when the office door was slammed and then continued through it.

“What’s up?”

Rafael turned to her, completely unaware she was behind him until she’d spoken. “Weeks wasted, for absolutely nothing.”

“You can’t make your case?”

“It was never about making the case.” He flipped his briefcase open and shuffled through a few papers, setting them out on his desk.

“What was it about?” Jolie bit back a smile at his huffy behavior. She knew he was only annoyed because work hadn’t panned out the way he’d wanted. He was rarely a grump at home otherwise.

“An apology.”

“Did they get it?”

“Yes, but that’s not the point.” Rafael slumped into his desk chair.

“Wasn’t it though?” Jolie narrowed her eyes knowingly. Her bottom lip pushed up and her eyes softened when he glanced at her. “Not every case is about winning in court.”

“Tell that to the DA.” Rafael grumbled.

“Raf…”

“I know, I know…” he sighed, “it was the right thing to do.”

Jolie smiled, moving closer to pull him out of his chair. “Come watch the movie with your kids. Whatever you had to do in here can wait until tomorrow.”

“But…” His eyes went to the paperwork he’d laid out on his desk.

“It can wait.”

“Don’t I get to be right about anything?”

“Not tonight.” Jolie smirked, dragging him behind her.


	3. Presumed Guilty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter will not technically touch on the SVU episode itself… Barba isn’t in it… merely mentioned.
> 
> Nick Amaro: Liv, it might be a better idea if me and Fin talk to the priest and you and Rollins pay a visit to your old pal D.A. Barba, show him that video.  
> Amanda Rollins: Well, we could, if he weren't skiing in Gstaad.  
> Olivia Benson: Gstaad? Really?
> 
> This episode is where the decision to have her family start a tradition of traveling to Gstaad came from. Jolie is my attempt to explain the yacht and how he affords his expensive suits on an ADA’s salary… that and I like her.

“Is everything packed?” Rafael hurried passed her, dropping his briefcase off on the kitchen table.

Jolie casually sipped her coffee, watching him frantically check that he had everything he needed. “Should be.”

“The kids have everything? The presents are packed? Did you get things squared away with building security?”

“Yes, yes, and yes.” Jolie stood to refill her cup as Rafael paused to actually look at her. “You’re just temporarily transferring your open cases to another ADA, you do it every year, why are you so stressed?”

He turned his attention back to his briefcase. “The guy I’m leaving things with is a hack.”

Jolie smirked at his grumbled response. “I think you just have issues not being in control of things.”

“When it comes to work, yes.” Rafael huffed.

Jolie poured coffee into a travel mug and handed it to him. “Drink this, drop off the files, and meet me back here with Bela and Abuelita in three hours.”

His eyes widened as though he’d forgotten about picking the matriarchs of his family up. “Mami...”

Lucia had chosen abuela when Allison was first born, but once she got old enough to speak all her tiny little voice could manage was a rather unrefined Bela. Lucia would giggle every time the tiny two year old would reach her arms up calling for “the Bela” to pick her up and the name stuck. Allison had shortened Abuelita to Ita at the same age, but since Rafael never stopped using Abuelita the shortened form hadn’t stuck. Much to Jolie’s mother’s dismay, her parents had been living with the titles Mimi and Papa since Allison had stopped putting the word the in front of everything.

“Raf, go. The plane is scheduled to leave at one, and while it may not leave without us, air traffic control doesn’t appreciate it when you throw off their flight plans,” Jolie chuckled, pushing him out of the kitchen, “and do not answer your phone for work.”

Rafael grinned over his shoulder at her, “I like it when you’re bossy.” He gave her a quick kiss, smirking at her eye roll and left, leaving her to deal with their three children.

Two SUV’s were used to move the large group and their luggage to the airport, the car service dropping them off on the tarmac. The flight crew helped the driver load the luggage while they made their way up the stairs to join the others who were already on board.

“Lucia. Catalina. It’s good to see you.” Annalise gave them each a hug as they passed, quickly giving her three grandchildren a hug at once. “You three get bigger each week.”

“Cy does for sure.” Cate smiled.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Misael huffed, tugging the shirt Jolie had recently bought him down so that it sat where it was intended to.

Cate rolled her eyes, placing her hand on his shoulder. “Only that you’re getting taller Misa... Allison’s the mean one, not me.”

“I am not mean.” Allison grumbled as she followed her younger siblings.

“Eight hours locked on a plane with them...” Jolie muttered as her mother arms wrapped around her.

Annalise chuckled, “they’ll be distracted by Toby and Audrey for most of the flight. Hi Rafael.”

“Annalise.” He smiled returning her hug.

“Where’s dad?” Jolie glanced around the cabin but didn’t see her father anywhere.

Annalise rolled her eyes and motioned toward the room at the back of the plane her father used as an office. “Jack Maxwell called.”

“I suppose he’ll be out when he’s out then.”

Malcolm and Rafael had the obsessive work gene in common and Jolie knew better than to expect either of them to truly ignore their phone... at least not until the plane was officially in the air. “Hand it over.”

Her hand was floating in front of his chest and Rafael looked at it as though he had no idea what she was wanting from him. “Hand what over?”

“Your phone.”

“I’m not going to answer it if it rings.”

Jolie reached into his pocket and fished it out herself. “Especially if I turn it off.” She powered the phone down, smiling when his eyes widened, and slipped it in her back pocket.

“McCoy might need something.”

“Then he’ll have to call someone else.” Rafael started for his phone, huffing slightly when she wiggled out of reach. “He knows our flight leaves in twenty minutes... he’s not calling you if he needs something.”

“You can’t know that for sure.”

Jolie chuckled and dragged him to the chairs across a small table from her brother and Beth. “Jack McCoy isn’t interfering in Malcolm Rutherford’s family holiday.”

Ian and Beth grinned at the conversation the two newcomers were engaged in, snickering when Jolie set Rafael’s phone on the table and his eyes fixated on it.

“I sometimes hate how connected your family is...” Rafael grumbled, conceding to the phone issue, “it’s partially why stayed in Brooklyn for so long.”

Jolie frowned, but only for a moment. “I know it’s why Casey stays there... if you think it’s bad being married to Malcolm Rutherford’s daughter in Manhattan, try being Jack Maxwell’s son.”

Rafael nodded, he’d had conversations with Casey on the topic more than once.

Jolie dug a large ziplock bag containing various Christmas cookies out of the oversized bag she was using as a purse, smacking her brothers hand when he reached across the table.

“Just one?” Ian pouted as Jolie rolled her eyes.

“You never want just one and this has to last me the whole flight.”

“It’s a gallon size bag of cookies.”

“It’s an eight hour flight.”

Rafael glanced between his wife and brother in law, shaking his head when neither broke eye contact. “So Beth… are you looking forward to skiing?”

Beth and Rafael side eyed Jolie as she slowly took a bite of cookie while still staring at her brother.

“Yeah… you?”

Ian grabbed for the bag again and Jolie snatched it out of his reach.

“Next time you complain about our children being childish, I want you to remember this moment.” Rafael rested his hand on Jolie’s thigh, smirking when he felt her relax.

“Fine, here.” Jolie passed Ian one cookie, zipped the bag shut and shoved it back in her purse.

Jolie’s mother’s side of the family was mostly settled in the cabin when they arrived. They’d reserved the same place for so long that everyone took the same room every year, everyone except Jolie’s grandparents… they’d passed away in 2009. That particular room had been left empty until Oliver started getting serious enough with Jennifer to bring her to Christmas. At twenty seven he was now engaged to Jen while his sister Piper, who was in no hurry to settle down, kept the room they used to share for herself.

Lucia and Catalina always shared room, insisted on it, and the remaining couples paired off in their own spaces as well, leaving the cousins to share the largest room. Rafael and Jolie’s children were forced upon Ian and Beth’s slightly older kids. As it was Christmas and they had no one to impress, Toby and Audrey were more than happy to indulge in the more carefree spirit their younger cousin’s brought to the holidays.

Allison followed Audrey around as though her age might wear off on her. She only had three years on Jolie’s oldest, but the difference between fourteen and eleven were distinct. Both Cate and Allison were on the four through twelve campus of Jolie and Ian’s former school, Misael was still in third grade and would be joining them the next year. Toby was a junior and Audrey a freshman, both having inherited Ian’s outgoing nature making them fairly popular. While Jolie had been popular in school, it wasn’t because she set out to be. The family name carried clout, her brother was well liked and Blake pushed her to hangout with a group she would have otherwise avoided. Allison was nothing like her. She focused as much attention to her social standing as she did to academics. Her personality could at times resemble Blake’s and while Jolie loved having Blake as a best friend growing up, it was worrisome to see those attributes in her oldest daughter.

“Did you hear that Emily and Jason got into a huge fight right before school let out?” Allison grinned at Aubrey while Cate and Jolie rolled their eyes in unison.

“I saw it,” Aubrey smirked, “but don’t get too excited they do that before every major school break. They’ll be back together before we get back to New York.”

“High school is soooo exciting.”

Aubrey chuckled at Allison’s eagerness. “Believe me it’s not that exciting.”

Rafael smiled at Jolie as he entered the living room followed closely by Misael, Malcom, Ian, Toby, Geoffrey, and Oliver.

“What have the men been up to?” Jolie smirked when he kissed her forehead, a display of affection for once going without comment from Allison.

“I’m not at liberty to talk about it.”

He settled himself on the couch next to her, chuckling lightly when she glared at him. “You know how I feel about surprises…”

“I’m still not telling you.”

Jolie pouted next to him, but he didn’t cave… it helped that he found it amusing. “I love you.”

“Yeah, yeah… I love you too.” She smiled as sweetly as she could while cuddling closer to him. “I’ll love you more if you tell me.”

Rafael breathed out a chuckle, taking her hand in his while shifting his attention to their children. All three were sitting in the floor with Aubrey and Toby discussing the game plan for skiing the next day.

“Do you think there will be a lot of boys there?” Rafael smile immediately disappeared at Allison’s words.

“Probably, but what’s the point of talking to guys halfway around the world from where you live?” Aubrey chuckled.

“Practice,” Allison’s smile reminded Jolie much too much of Blake’s at that age, “I can talk to them without worrying about ever having to see them again… it’s perfect.”

Rafael’s concerned eyes met Jolie’s. “Already?”

“Apparently.”

“Someone won’t be leaving my sight tomorrow,” he glanced at his daughter… the one that looked just like a mini version of his wife… “maybe ever again.”

Jolie snuggled closer, trying to hide her amusement. “You might cramp her style.”

“This is not funny.”

“She’s an eleven year old girl… I liked boys at her age.” She was trying to comfort him, but the smile wouldn’t fade. He just looked so worried.

“Yes, but Allison’s personality is nothing like yours…”

This time the smile did fade. He was right. “Sometimes I’d swear if she hadn’t come out of me I’d think you and Blake created her.”

“Definitely never leaving my sight again…” he grumbled.

Jolie smiled and patted his thigh, “it could be worse.”

“How?”

She was barely able to force back the chuckle at his ruffled expression. “We could be on a beach and listening to her discuss which bikini she wanted to wear while practicing her flirting.” Rafael stared at his wife, no words forming in his mind, only the image of eighteen year old Jolie in a bikini his eleven year old daughter would be indefinitely grounded if he caught her in. “Be thankful we’ll be skiing and her entire body will be covered from head to toe in bulky clothing.”

“Do they still sell chastity belts?”

Jolie chuckled, this time rubbing his thigh. “I’m afraid we have to provide a well rounded sex education, teach her to think for herself, and hope she makes the right decisions.” Rafael’s eyes widened. “Don’t worry, she’s mostly talk. She thinks boys are cute, wants to be popular, but is a ways off from turning into Blake.” Jolie squeezed his hand reassuringly. “Besides she’s emulating Aubrey who is popular while still managing to think for herself. She could have worse role models.”

“Can you convince her to be like you? You know… have no interest in guys until she’s out of high school.”

“I was interested in guys, dated even,” she smiled at the feigned look of disbelief he gave her, “I just didn’t like any of them as much as I liked you.”

“Exactly my point.” Rafael smirked, tugging her closer.

“Considering at the moment she wants to be the complete opposite of me, that might not be the best approach.”

Rafael’s attention went back to Allison. Jolie was right, his daughter would be pushed further from the direction he wanted if Jolie intervened. Allison was as stubborn as he was and constantly fighting for independence.

“Why did you break up with Jarrod?” Allison and Aubrey’s conversation was still going strong and Rafael watched Aubrey roll her eyes at the question.

“Because Jarrod is an ass and I have no interest in dating someone like that.”

“He’s sooo cute though,” Allison squeezed her hands into fist, lifting the to her chest excitedly, “everyone wants to date him.”

“Not everyone,” Aubrey huffed, “besides you should be with someone because you actually like them, not because everyone else likes them.”

“And you don’t like Jarrod?”

Aubrey’s annoyance in her classmate didn’t falter. “He’s an egotistical prick.”

Allison’s brow furrowed. “Then why go out with him at all?”

“He was sweet for the first couple weeks,” Aubrey shrugged, “it was short lived.”

“So you dumped him?”

“Yes, quite publicly,” Aubrey smirked, “so he couldn’t claim he dumped me.”

Rafael bit back a chuckle at the self satisfied face his niece had made. “Maybe Aubrey will rub off on her…” He whispered just loud enough for Jolie to hear him.

“One can hope.” Jolie smiled.

There was no semblance of order on Christmas morning. Once cinnamon rolls had been consumed the family had gathered around the tree where Malcolm passed out gifts, only pausing to open his own when Annalise place one in his hands and forced him to sit. Paper covered the floor, lilted voices filled the air, and Jolie chuckled as Rafael frowned at the tie his youngest had selected for him.

“He was so excited when he picked it out.”

Rafael’s shoulders dropped as he ran the fabric through his hands. “I can’t exactly wear a tie with colorful characters on it to work…”

Jolie covered her mouth though it did nothing to hide the grin associated with the mental image his words had conjured. “Put it on in the morning and change in the car or take it to work and wear it home… he’ll never know you didn’t wear it all day, just let him see you in it occasionally.”

“I can do that,” Rafael smiled, placing the tie back in the box, “here.” He handed Jolie the present from him.

It was a flat square box, roughly twelve by twelve inches wide and inch and a half deep. She could tell Carmen had wrapped it, the edges were too pristine for any of her kids to have and she’d seen Rafael’s wrapping skills. This present had been one of the first placed under their tree at home and she was positive Rafael had done it to ensure she be driven crazy with curiosity.

Jolie tore into the wrapping paper, dropping the bits in the floor with everyone else’s, frowning when she found a white box that gave her no indication to what the present was. Lifting the lid only led to neatly folded tissue paper, but that was easy enough to shift out of her way.

“How?” It was all she could manage as she lifted the small 7-inch from the box. There were two other vinyls below it, but the thin yellow sleeve containing a a small vinyl with two songs she already had on at least three different formats was the only thing she was currently asking about.

“I’ve made friends with quite a few people who own records stores in the last eighteen years.” Rafael smirked.

“Yes, but... there were less than a hundred of these pressed.”

“And now you have one. Dave found Duh on purple and Trashed on... well I don’t honestly remember but it’s some color...” he smiled when her eyes widened, “that completes your Lagwagon collection right?”

Jolie nodded, flipping the Angry Days 7-inch against her so she could verify that the two remaining records were in fact printed on colored vinyl. She’d been listening to them long enough to preorder everything after Trashed ensuring she received the color pressing with the original release. And while she also frequented record shops, talking with the employees about records she was searching for, these three had eluded her.

“These are perfect.” She grinned, carefully setting them safely beside her so she could more or less pounce on her husband.

Rafael chuckled, letting her kiss him long enough to hear Allison huff somewhere in the distance. “I’m glad you like them.”

“Love them,” she corrected, handing him the gift from her, “here... it makes my gift kind of perfect.”

Rafael furrowed his brow, but opened the present she’d handed him. “Is this a first addition?”

“You have connections at record stores, I have connections to book dealers.” Jolie smirked. He’d been slowly building a collection of first additions in their library. Some were books he enjoyed reading, some were more of investment pieces.

“What made you decide to get me _The Count of Monte Cristo_?”

“I’ve seen you reread the book four times during the span of our marriage.”

Rafael chuckled, “I didn’t think it was that obvious, but I do love this book... and I’ve read it way more than four times throughout my life.”

“What better book for you collection then?”

Malcolm sat himself in front of them on the floor, grinning at the chaos around him. “You two seem pretty happy over here.”

“We are always happy daddy.” Jolie smiled.

“That’s doubtful, no one is always happy.”

Jolie rolled her eyes. “We’re happy more often than not.”

“What did she get you?” Malcolm nosily leaned forward, peeking into the pile of tissues containing the book Rafael had received.

“A first addition _Count of Monte Cristo_.” Rafael said handing it to him.

“It’s in good condition too.” Malcolm flipped the book over a few times and handed it back. “How’s the Manhattan DA’s office treating you?”

“Jack McCoy is a formidable man to work for, but I figure the fact that I’ve seen him drunk at Jack Maxwell’s Fourth of July parties will come in handy at some point.”

Jolie scrunched up her nose. “He’s a big softy.”

“He’s not your boss.”

“No, but he’s a rebel at heart. He gave me my first Clash album.”

Rafael squinted in disbelief. “Jack McCoy does not listen to The Clash.”

“He used to, ask him yourself.” Jolie grinned, pushing to her feet to help her mother pick up trash.

“Once everything is cleaned up we can pass out the last gift.” Malcolm whispered so that only Rafael could hear him.

He nodded, patting his pocket as though he needed to let Malcolm know where Jolie’s itinerary for the next day was.

Malcolm knew Annalise had been dying to spend a day at one of the world renown spa’s located in Gstaad. It was something she would mention every year once they were there, always forgetting to book a spot in advance. This year Malcolm had taken it upon himself to book not only a spot for her, but for all the women over the age of eighteen. They would spend the day after Christmas being pampered while the men kept the kids entertained with sledding down a hill not far from the cabin.

They started flying back to New York on the twenty ninth shortly after Blake and Casey moved back to the city and Blake resumed her tradition of hosting a party on New Years Eve. The guest list had shifted over the years, now only a few invitations were sent to former classmates, the rest were a mix of colleagues and friends they’d made since graduation. After Casey and Blake had their son Logan, born a year before Allison, they’d shifted the party to a more family friendly environment once he was old enough to participate.

“Riley!” Cate rushed passed Blake as the family entered the apartment, running to hug her best friend.

“Riley was hoping Cate could sleep over tonight.” Sarah stepped in for a hug once Blake had let Jolie go.

“Sure… take the good one.” Jolie smirked.

Sarah and Tom had both become doctors, Sarah a Phd teaching literature at Columbia and Tom a Pediatric Surgeon, though the decision to have children before completing school had complicated their studies for a time period. Eli, their oldest, was the same age as Logan and Riley had been in class with Cate since kindergarten.

“Hey Allison.” Eli nudged her side and Rafael’s eyes immediately cut the twelve year old paying attention to his eldest daughter.

“Eli.” Allison grinned, returning the elbow shove.

The kids had known each other their whole lives and were friends, a concept that hadn’t bothered Rafael until this moment.

Logan wandered over, smiling at both Eli and Allison. “Come on, we’re hanging out in the back.”

“K.” Allison sheepishly whispered, following when Eli dragged her behind him.

Rafael started to follow as well, but Jolie grabbed his arm stopping him. “Let her be.”

“But…”

“Raf, she can barely talk, much less flirt.. you have nothing to worry about.”

“But…”

Jolie chuckled. “They’re in an open room with group of both girls and boys; Cate, Riley, Cy, Mason, and Emma will all be in there. What do you think is going to happen?”

“Talking.” Rafael grumbled.

Jolie bit her cheek to stifle her laugh. “Talking?”

“Lots of talking…”

“I’ll let you walk passed the room every half hour, but she’s going to have to manage more than a sheepish ‘k’ to do _lots of talking_.” Jolie playfully imitated her husbands worried tone causing Blake to laugh.

“Remember when we used to joke about our future kids getting married?”

Rafael slipped out of Jolie’s grasp, disappearing in the direction of the back room before she could call for him. “I’m not sure Rafael’s as on board with those plans.”

“What’s wrong with Logan?”

“I think it has less to do with Logan than the stories Raf’s heard about his parents.” Jolie smirked.

The corner of Blake’s lip lifted. “Casey and I did have some fun didn’t we?”

“Fun my daughter does not need to experience.”

“Allison likes Logan?” Sarah asked.

“It’s not as though she tells me anything,” Jolie shrugged, “but if she does I’d assume it’s a rather new development considering last time they hung out she acted completely normal.”

“Oh...” Sarah faced dropped for a millisecond, still long enough for Jolie to notice.

“Logan is obsessed with some girl in his grade named Victoria,” Blake spat the poor girls name as though it left sour taste in her mouth, “I hate to say it but I’m not sure the feeling is mutual.”

“She’s eleven... I’m pretty sure I don’t want the feeling to be mutual.” Jolie didn’t want her daughter pining for someone who wasn’t interested, but figured crushes couldn’t be controlled and that there would be plenty more.

Jolie found Rafael at the bar with Casey. The two were discussing a case Brooklyn PD had picked up just before the holidays that had kept Casey busy most of Christmas Eve. She took the martini he offered her and silently waited for one or the other to change the subject.

“Did Mason find Cy?”

Jolie nodded as she swallowed the sip of her drink she’d taken timed with Casey’s question. “They ran toward the back room less than two minutes after we got here.”

Casey grinned as Carter and Lemon shifted from mingling with one group to another. “There’s got to be some irony in the fact that your sons best friend is Carter’s kid.”

Rafael scoffed into his drink. “Mason and Emma are the only ones here his age.”

Carter had taken over his fathers business, married Lemon, and had Mason and Emma, a set of twins that took a network of doctors for Lemon to conceive. He’d thankfully grown up enough to leave the insulting comments in the past, but he still wasn’t Rafael’s, or Jolie’s for that matter, favorite person.

“Uh huh…” Casey smirked, “that’s why Mason and Cy spend every other weekend at each others house?”

“I won’t fault Mason for his father.” But it had taken a lot of convincing for Rafael to leave his son under Carter’s supervision that first time. Now neither he nor Jolie thought much of it and Mason was always respectful in their home. “You’re the one who keeps inviting Carter along to everything.”

“He’s my oldest friend.” Casey made the statement as if he’d had no other option, but the truth was he enjoyed Carter’s company when he wasn’t being and ass, he always had.

“Yeah.” Rafael chewed one side of his bottom lip, his eye drifting downward as he tried to remember the last time he’d gotten his family together with Alex and Yelina’s. He saw them every Thanksgiving since his family spent the holiday in the Bronx with Lucia, Catalina, and the rest of his old neighborhood, but that was it. His former friendships had been reduced to a single interaction once a year. He could blame it on work or the fact that Jolie was more inclined to make social plans than him, but the truth was it took effort to keep up with old friends.

Jolie amusingly eyed his facial expression. “You thinking about calling Alex?”

“I should see him more than once a year…”

It was harder when you lived in two different worlds. Alex had focused his energies in revitalizing their old neighborhood and making a name for himself. Rafael had been proud of Alex for that, but he’d kept himself busy building a life separate from the one he’d fought so desperately to break free from.

“You want me to set something up with Yelina?” Jolie never flat out said it, but she refused to use Alex as a point of contact, always leaving that to Rafael. He gave her the creeps more now than when they were in college, though he’d never flat out done or said anything to her, and she didn’t see him often enough to taint Rafael’s friendship.

“No, I’ll call Alex.”

Jolie nodded, taking his hand as they followed Casey to the couches everyone else had gathered on. She knew he’d forget once work started back up, and she felt guilty for the fact that they spent a lot of time in her world… but it was his world too. Rafael had worked with Casey for over a decade in Brooklyn, he’d known Sarah and Tom for as long as she had… these were the same people they’d always hung out with. She never objected to spending time in the Bronx or meeting up with Alex and Yelina, she’d even encouraged it when they first moved back… it was Rafael who had stretched himself so thin with work that he’d unintentionally distanced himself.

“I’ll try to remember to remind you.”

Rafael smirked and pulled her down next to him on the couch, his arm resting comfortably around her shoulder as they settled into the conversation amongst the friends they’d had since Cambridge.


	4. Beautiful Frame

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dates in the episode state it’s still mid December, but the episode aired January 9th… and Presumed Guilty, literally the episode before this one, dealt with Christmas. These dates make no sense to me so I’m sticking with my timeline of this episode falling after the holidays.

“No rest for the weary, huh?” Jolie glanced at the side of her husbands head, but he was so focused on his work that he didn’t shift his attention from the brief he was reading, her words not registering. “Raf?”

“Huh, what?” He turned her direction only to rub his eyes. “Sorry, it’s this case.” He dropped the file on the bed between them in frustration.

“I assumed as much, you don’t normally bring your side piece to bed with you.” Her finger pointedly tapped the brown shell of the file folder.

Rafael gave her an amused little side eye. “Detective Benson is convinced their victim is being framed, the Suffolk County DA wants me to just hand over the case files, and I’m still trying to get all the details on the original case filed a month before I transferred from Brooklyn."

Jolie’s brow furrowed. “None of that means much to me.”

“Suffolk County arrested one of SVU’s victims from four months ago for murder. Her case accusing a CI for the Suffolk County DA’s office of rape hasn’t gone to trial yet, mainly because everyone’s been pushing the mess off to someone else.”

Jolie nodded, “and you’re that lucky someone…”

“Only because SVU has been more or less given to me.”

“That’s because no one else wants it.” Jolie made sure he saw her smirk before climbing behind him to rub the tension from his back.

“I prefer to think it’s because no one else is good enough.”

She lightly chuckled, her face so close to his ear that he could feel the air sputter from her nose. “I’m sure that’s it.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence…”

Jolie rolled her eyes. “I’m teasing and you know it.” She was the only person he ever showed even the slightest signs of insecurities. He could hide his self doubts from everyone he worked with, continuously playing the part he felt he needed to play, but with her he’d let the walls he’d built up fall.

“I know.” He took a breath and picked the file up again.

Jolie read over his shoulder, only getting bits and pieces as he flipped through the pages, but it was enough to pick up a general overview. “Your case looks complicated.”

“My entire morning was spent with SVU in my office, working through lunch to go over the original rape allegation, and then the afternoon in a Suffolk County courtroom watching their victim get dragged to jail with a bail the judge knew she’d never be able to afford.”

“Their victim?” Jolie gave him a knowing look, one he smirked back at.

“Jessie Sturgis… and I am still reading the file… despite the late hour, aren’t I?”

“It’s just the second time you referred to her that way.”

Rafael shrugged, leaning into her fingers as they kneaded into a particularly tense muscle. “I’m distancing myself, limiting the toll cases like this tend to take.”

“Do you actually think that’s going to work?”

“No, but I’ve got to try something. Otherwise Allison and Cate are going to hate both of us when they're never allowed to leave the house again.”

“And Misael gets a pass?”

Rafael knew she was teasing again, but the fact that boy weren’t immune to the cases SVU worked hit him unexpectedly. “Jesus, all of them…”

Jolie smiled and moved her hands to his massage his neck. “Only Allison will hate both of us, Cate will just hate you.”

Rafael chuckled, but had to admit she was probably right. Cate loved them both, hadn’t even hinted at going through whatever phase Allison had entered, but Allison only seemed to argue with her mother. “Eh, they’d both still love me.”

“With my luck they would…” Jolie grumbled, digging her thumb into a knot that made him groan from some twisted mix of pain and relief.

Cate tugged a blanket over both her and Jolie while leaning into her mothers side on the couch as Disney’s _Brave_ played on the television. Allison pretended to be uninterested in the movie while secretly sneaking peaks as she painted her nails and Misael sat in the floor watching as he played with his Lego’s.

“When is dad getting home?” Cate started to shush her sister but stopped herself seeing as she was also curious about the answer.

“I have no idea…” Jolie sighed.

Misael glanced up when Cate paused the movie. “Does that mean we can stay up late watching movies and eating junk food?”

“No,” Jolie smirked, “you only get to do that if he works late on a Friday. Bedtime never changes on a school night.”

“Worth a shot.” Misael shrugged.

“Why is he working late this time?” Allison had leaned back against the couch next to Jolie’s legs, examining her nails up as they dried.

“There’s a woman being charged with murder in another county, but the detectives in Manhattan think she’s innocent and that a guy that attacked her is conspiring to set her up for the murder. Your dad is pushing to get the guy they think actually did it a guilty verdict before Suffolk County can convict the innocent woman.”

“Can he do that?”

Jolie’s shoulders lifted again, mostly because she didn’t really know the answer. “He’s going to try.”

Cate shifted so she could actually see her mother. “Have you met the new detectives he’s working with?”

“Not yet, why?”

“You just knew everyone in Brooklyn. It feels weird that he’s working with these new people no one really knows yet.”

Jolie smiled while gently squeezing Cate shoulder. “Give it time. He worked in Brooklyn for nearly fourteen years, I’m sure I’ll get to know his new colleagues one way or another.”

“Has dad mentioned anything about them?” While Cate was genuinely curious about the people her dad spent his days with, Allison was just looking for gossip.

Jolie smirked and shook her head, appeasing her oldest daughters curiosity. “Mostly he’s complained about how pushy the one named Benson is... he’s only worked a handful of cases with this group of detectives, but someone seems to think they work well together because he’s been assigned to special victims.”

“Aren’t those cases harder to win?”

“Usually.” Jolie nodded.

“Maybe he’s been assigned to them because he’s better than everyone else.”

Jolie smiled at Allison’s comment. “Probably, but don’t tell your father that, he’s got a big enough ego.”

“Can I tell him you said that?” Allison chuckled when her mother shrugged.

“Go ahead, you wouldn’t be saying anything I haven’t already told him.”

A smirk far too similar to her fathers graced lips that had been passed down from her mother. “So... do we like this Benson chick?”

Jolie closed her eyes, exhaling a silent chuckle before speaking. “I usually wait to pass judgement on someone until I actually meet them.”

“But dad’s complaining about her...”

“Have you met your father,” Jolie’s brow knitted in amusement and feigned confusion, “he complains about everyone.”

Jolie wasn’t asleep, she never could sleep until he crawled in bed with her... at least not well anyway. There were times one or the other would have to travel for work, leaving her to suffice sleeping alone. It wasn’t that she couldn’t do it, just that she slept better when he was there. The book she had on the nightstand had lost her interest three sentences in, leaving her to occupy her mind the only way she knew how.

Rafael laughed when he found her working through problems on differentiating vector-valued functions in an old Calculus book. She had the book open in front of her on their bed, a notebook in her lap... he wouldn’t venture a guess as to where that came from, the graphing calculator they’d bought for Allison at the beginning of the school year placed in her hands, and a pencil wedge between her teeth. “I wasn’t that late.”

Jolie held up a finger as she typed numbers into the calculator, only making him chuckle more as he stripped the days clothes off. She jotted down the solution to the problem and cut her eyes to the man disappearing into their bathroom. He was down to his boxer briefs, carrying a bundle of clothes to slip in their bag for dry cleaning. “The kids have been in bed for over an hour.”

“Still not that late.” He smirked, wrapping an arm around her and dragging her with him to the sink.

Jolie pulled herself onto the counter, watching as he brushed his teeth. “Did you eat?” An incoherent “uh huh” was accompanied with a nod in response. “You look happy,” her brow furrowed skeptically, “too happy.”

Rafael chuckled as he rinsed the toothpaste from his mouth. “Can you really be too happy?”

“Your crazy plan of forcing two trials at once worked didn’t it?”

Rafael pushed himself so he stood between her knees, hands resting on either hip as his lips hovered above hers. “Kind of.” He gave her little head tilt with his smirk and closed the space between them.

Jolie’s hands instinctively reached into his hair with the kiss, only pulling back when her curiosity got the better of her. “Kind of?”

Rafael smirked again and helped her off the counter, slipping his hand is hers as they walked back to the bedroom. “Benson and the other detectives found the three people that Michale Provo blackmailed into helping him frame Jessie for murder, all willing to testify against him. The Suffolk County DA had no choice but to drop charges on Jessie Sturgis, charge Provo, and open an internal investigation into their office.”

“So you won without the jury.”

“Yep.” His lips were on hers again as he backed her legs against their bed.

“And now you’re all frisky.”

“Uh huh.” His lips had moved to her neck, slipping the hem of her t-shirt higher. “You weren’t tired were you?”

Jolie let him tug the fabric over her head, her fingers skimming the skin along his sides as he tossed her fitted shirt to the floor. “Nope.”

Rafael slipped her pajama bottoms over her hips, letting them fall to the floor while inching her back onto their bed. Jolie shifted backwards so he could climb above her, both of them giggling when her Calculus book stabbed into her side.

“I thought we were passed the days of having sex on your math books.”

“Apparently not.” Jolie chuckled, pushing the book to the floor.

Rafael’s weight pressed her into the bed as they kissed, transitioning little nips down her neck to tongue her nipple.

“Did you lock the bedroom door?” She’d been too engrossed in working through the math problem to notice if he’d locked it when he originally entered the bedroom.

Nips and kisses moved lower, his lips only lifting from her skin when he shifted to tug her underwear off. “I did.”

Jolie smirked down at him as his head lowered between her legs. “Been planning this since before you got home?”

“No,” he’d paused long enough to return the smirk, “since I saw you sitting on our bed chewing on a pencil as you worked through some math problem that I’m assuming was completely by choice.” He ran his tongue through her slit, smiling to himself when her head fell back on the bed. “It took me back.”

Jolie didn’t lift her head from the bed, but her breath did become labored as his tongue quickly found her again. “So being attacked by my Calculus book was fitting.”

Rafael chuckled, nodding his head against her pelvis. “Very fitting.”

He resumed the swirling of his tongue, focussing his attention on her clit while slipping two fingers into her. Nails scraped his scalp, parting his hair in the soft way she always did when she enjoyed his ministrations. He softly flicked the sensitive bud after each swirl of his tongue, alternating between the motion with gentle suction.

“Fuck…”

The breathy sound wasn’t his first clue she was close, but it was the only vocal indicator she’d given. Her hips jerked as her back arched, a small groan escaping when fingers tightened in his hair. He coaxed her back down, kissing back up her torso until his lips met hers again.

“Flip over.”

Jolie smiled and turned beneath him, wiggling her butt in the air as she propped herself up for better access. Rafael chuckled and placed his hands on her hips to still her, lining himself up with her entrance and gently easing into her. The position was a favorite for both of them, but the depth it allowed typically had him on edge sooner than he’d like. It was a default when it came to quickies for much the same reason.

She groaned into the mattress when he pulled her back against him, pausing his thrust when he felt his peek starting to build. He leaned forward, pressing his chest against her back as his arm slipped beneath her to shift them both to their sides. He began thrusting again from the spooning position, his hands roaming now that more of her was exposed to him. Fingers from one hand found a nipple, while the other reached between her legs circling her nub. His roaming hands may have had something to do with the reason Jolie enjoyed this particular position. Jolie’s climax had already been building, the added stimulation pushing her over the crest. Rafael continued to push into her, riding through her culmination only following through with his own release when he felt the hand she had reached back and clenched in his hair relax.

Rafael’s breath shifted her hair as he panted against the back of her head.

Her hips wiggled against him as she smile over her shoulder. “One of us has to get up to unlock the door.”

He smirked out a chuckle and pulled her closer to him. “Are you sure? Surely if they need us they’ll knock loud enough to wake us up.”

Jolie turned to face him, resting her head on his chest when he shifted to his back. “Or yell… they’d most likely yell.”

Rafael’s chest vibrated beneath her cheek. “So neither of us are getting up?”

Jolie shook her head, reaching to pull the covers over them. “You’ll wake up if one of them needs us for something.”

He would wake for the smallest noise, often resulting in him getting out of bed to work in the home office. It wasn’t necessarily the sound that prompted the work session, but his ever active mind needing to work through whatever problem had taken over his mind once he’d woken up. Jolie was the opposite, as long as he was next to her she could sleep through anything. The door remaining locked while they slept wouldn’t be a big deal. Jolie snuggled into his arms falling asleep before his breathing leveled out… he wasn’t far behind her.


	5. Criminal Hatred

“Hey daddy?”

Jolie smirked over the top of the book she was reading while Rafael tied up a few loose ends from the last case he worked. “She must want something.”

Allison poked her head through the open door leading into the home office. “Can you help me with something?”

“You know your mom’s better at explaining math than I am.” His brows lifted so that he could see his daughter without actually lifting his head.

Allison glanced at her mother, quickly shifting back to her father. “It’s not math.” It may have been the subject she was the least interested in, but it wasn’t her current problem.

Rafael marked his place and lifted himself from the desk chair. “I assume this help you need is elsewhere.”

She grinned with her nod. “In my room.”

“Have fun.” Jolie briefly caught her husbands eye, smiling as she made herself more comfortable in the overstuffed chair she’d purposely chosen to read in.

Sarah sat at the table across from Jolie, smiling at the waiter who poured water into an empty glass.

“What can I get you to drink?”

“Iced tea.” The waiter nodded, heading off to check on another table. “Is Rafael available this weekend? I want to get the kids together, and Tom was hoping to not be the only adult male this time.” Sarah picked up her menu, browsing her lunch options as Jolie chuckled.

“Is Tom going through Rafael withdrawal?”

Sarah puffed out a chuckle and shook her head, “he just prefers his company to ours.”

“I’ll text him,” Jolie smirked, pulling her phone from her purse. “How are your classes going this semester?”

“I made the mistake of offering to teach a freshman English class,” Sarah grumbled, “it’s the last time I do that.”

Jolie’s phone buzzed against the table. “Too immature?”

“It’s not so much that, more that it’s a required course and most of my students aren’t English majors… it’s just not as much fun to teach.”

“You miss the discussion.”

Sarah sighed, “I do, and it’s become my least favorite class of the week.”

“Rafael said he was hopeful,” Jolie sighed as well while slipping her phone back into her purse, “he must have picked up a new case.”

“I’ll let Tom know not to get his hopes up too high then.”

“We can always invite Blake and Casey along.” Sarah shifted in her chair, fiddling with the tablecloth. “Or not…”

“It’s not that I don’t want them there,” Sarah sighed, “I really enjoy their company…”

“That’s what someone says when they don’t want to sound mean.” Jolie chuckled.

Sarah huffed through pursed lips. “You know I like them, and so does Tom.”

Jolie still looked amused. “You just don’t want them to join this weekend, I get it.”

“Eli doesn’t want Logan to be there.”

Jolie’s brow furrowed. Teasing Sarah about inviting Blake was just that, teasing. She knew Sarah and Blake got along, they just also did things separately. It wasn’t a big deal and Jolie bounced between the two friends when the three weren’t together. “I thought Eli and Logan were really good friends.”

“Oh,” Sarah’s eyes widened, “they are.”

“You’re not making any sense.”

Sarah exhaled, wishing she’d ordered something stronger than iced tea when the waiter sat the drink next to her plate. “He just doesn’t want him there this weekend.” Jolie knitted her brow, silently making eye contact with her friend until she caved on whatever the real reason was for Eli not wanting Logan to join them. “He thinks Allison has a crush on Logan and even though Logan is talking to some other girl in their class he’d prefer to spend the weekend without Allison following Logan around…” Sarah sheepishly glanced at Jolie. “He wants to spend time with just her.”

Jolie had to cover her mouth to stop herself from laughing.

“It’s not that funny.” Sarah grumbled.

“I’m sorry,” she held her hands up in attempt to regain composure, “I’m sorry…” another chuckle slipped out, “it is kind of funny.”

“He’s really upset.”

“That my obstinate, pain in the ass child, has a crush on someone else… he has met her right?”

“Jolie… he’s twelve and likes a girl who likes his friend… and she’s only a pain in the ass to you. She’s actually really sweet to most other people.”

This was true. Allison was nothing but respectful to her friends parents, this included Sarah… teachers were a different story, but Jolie had always faulted Rafael for that… he was the one with a track record of mouthing off. “I’d say it sucks for him, but I suppose she’s really no better off.”

“He just wants to spend time with her without Logan.”

Jolie sighed while rubbing her forehead. “How are they eleven and twelve going on fifteen?”

“It’s some form of karma for all the crap we put our parents through.”

“I didn’t though…” Jolie scoffed, “I was the good kid.”

Sarah grinned, “I guess it’s karma for being friends with Blake for you then.”

“Oh… yeah my parents were really worried for a while there… especially when I told them Carter was boyfriend at pretty much the same age Allison is now, though at the time I had had no clue what a relationship really was…” she stared at the empty bread plate with butter smeared on one edge, “now I know how they felt.”

“Karma,” Sarah smirked, her features becoming less playful as her own mind wandered. “Hey Jolie?”

“Yeah.”

“Don’t tell anyone Eli likes her… I wasn’t suppose to say anything.”

“Don’t worry, they can navigate preteen hormones on their own. Besides…” she took a breath to fight off the urge to laugh again, “I’d assume Rafael would either lock her in her room or intimidate poor Eli to the point he was too scared to come around anymore. I think it’s best he’s left in the dark.”

The small smile crept on Jolie’s lips along with Sarah’s, both lifting their menus to decide on lunch before the waiter reappeared.

Rafael kissed the side of her head while she brushed her teeth, quickly moving to the walk in closet to strip his suit off.

“You’re home late.” Jolie leaned against the closet door, watching him toss the shirt into the dry cleaning hamper. He’d already stripped down to his undershirt and boxer briefs, the only thing left to remove were his socks.

He slipped those from his feet, dropping them in with their regular laundry. “SVU picked up a guy who’s been attacking closeted gay men for a while… his spree finally escalated to murder, though it will be hard to prove intent considering the guy died of a heart attack and there’s really no evidence tying him to the crime.”

“Did the attack provoke the heart attack?”

“It did, but all his other victims are hesitant to testify.”

Jolie followed him back to the bathroom. “Because they’re closeted?”

“Exactly.” Rafael stuck his tooth brush in his mouth, Jolie taking a moment to think while he finished.

“Is it a hate crime?”

Rafael’s shoulders slumped, sliding the toothpaste back into the drawer. “Maybe, if the perpetrator weren’t gay himself.”

“Are these men his type and just unfortunate victims of opportunity?”

Rafael pulled her into bed as he laid down. “That’s for SVU to find out.”

“You don’t sound too worried.” Jolie smirked, snuggling in closer to him.

Rafael chuckled. “His lawyer is this frizzy haired, frumpy looking thing that passes her card out at pride parades… I’m not worried.”

“Don’t let your ego get too big, I like your head it’s current size.”

Jolie was reading through the last four quarterly reports for a company she was thinking about dumping her investments in. The earnings call she’d listened in on sounded very promising, so much so that the stock had spiked significantly in just a couple hours. If she sold now she’d make a couple million off the three week hold, but if they were even the tiniest bit over bought the market would adjust and she’d lose the gain… not the initial investment, the stock wasn’t that volatile. The other option was to hold it a little longer to see if it had a little pop left. That was why she was scrutinizing it’s last years numbers, her decision would be made before she went to bed, an e-mail sent to her broker with her sell limit. It was never meant to be a long term investment so the stock would dumped within the next couple days regardless.

She had a notepad set out on her desk, the one sitting on the opposite side of the room from her husbands, and was working through the numbers by hand when her daughter peeked through the door.

“When is dad getting home?”

“Considering he mentioned grabbing a working dinner at some restaurant close to his office, I’d assume later than you’ll be up.”

“Oh…” Allison slumped into the chair opposite her desk.

“You know I’m capable of helping with things other than math.”

“I know, but this really is more dads area of expertise.”

“Oh, ok.” Jolie chuckled, returning half of her attention to the projection she was working through. “Why don’t you make a list of questions for him to help you with this weekend.”

“We have that thing with the McPhersons and he’ll probably have to work anyway.”

“Yes, but he’ll be home at a decent hour if he does work and more inclined to help if you have everything laid out for him.”

Allison smiled, jumping up from the chair. “Thanks mom.”

“You’re welcome.” Jolie smirked, returning to her work.

Rafael slid the button up shirt over his shoulders, leaving it untucked from his jeans and rolled up the sleeves the way Jolie liked them. The original plan had been to go to Sarah and Tom’s place, but Jolie had offered to cater lunch so no one would have to cook and Sarah took her up on it. Jolie could have had it catered at Sarah and Toms, but it was just easier at their place.

“Are you sure you have time for this?” Jolie pulled Rafael into their office when she saw him descend the stairs.

He smirked at her stealthy attempt to get them alone. “Don’t want me hanging out with our friends?”

Jolie rolled her eyes. “You’ve just been really stressed with your case; late nights, the judge dismissing your hate crime charge, the deadlocked jury… I just didn’t want you to feel like you had to be here.”

He’d gotten home late most every night that week and while it wasn’t completely abnormal, he usually had time to share his day with her. This week he’d only been able to give her bits in the morning, both of them basically falling asleep once he’d crawled in bed.

“Sentencing for the one crime he was charged with is on Monday and I don’t plan to argue on what’s requested.”

“You’re not?” Her brow knitted, but only because he argued on everything.

“The plan is to arrest him for murder if SVU can find the evidence they need to tie him to the victim that died. They’re working harder than I am this weekend.”

Jolie smiled and dragged him out of the office, dodging her oldest who was pulling Eli behind her to the den where the rest of the kids were gathered. The smile on the boys face made her chuckle, drawing Rafael’s attention to the two kids.

“Did I miss something.”

Jolie shook her, “I’m just happy our kids get along with Sarah’s so well.”

“A little too well if you ask me.” He huffed as Allison and Eli disappeared from view.

“Did she ask you to help her again?”

Rafael’s eyes lit up. “You know she brought me her arguments, outlined very efficiently I might add… she’d make a great lawyer one day.”

“Arguments? Does she have a debate?” Jolie was pretty sure Allison hadn’t signed up for debate or speech that semester, but she guessed it could have been an assignment for one of her other classes.

“Something like that," he smirked.

Jolie fumed as the driver dropped them off at home, too upset to speak with the driver present. She also needed to calm down before she said something she’d regret. Allison rolled her eyes and stomped into the building, ignoring her mother as they rode the elevator to the floor, then stomped into their penthouse.

“Your suspension may only be a week, but you're grounded for three months.” Jolie barked at her daughter as she started for the stairs.

“Dad told me to stand up for myself.”

“I’m sure this is not what your father meant.” Jolie scolded.

“Who do you thinks been helping me outline my arguments.” Allison smirked.

“Phone now.”Jolie demanded holding out her hand.

Allison sighed, but handed it over. “You can read until I get back. If that laptop is even remotely warm, I’ll extend your grounding another month.” Jolie turned back toward the door, dropping Allison’s phone in her purse.

“What if there’s an emergency?” Allison whined.

“Use the landline.” Jolie snapped, knowing they had kept it all these years for some reason.

“Where are you going?”

“To find your father.”

She’d never been to the precinct, but the directions Carmen had given her had been fairly straight forward. The bullpen was busy when she entered, no one looking familiar, but she didn’t exactly have faces to go with the names she’d heard him mention.

“Can I help you?”

He looked younger than her, not by much though, dark hair and brown eyes, his features laced with concern more than helpfulness. To be fair she did appear upset. “I’m looking for Rafael Barba, Carmen told me I could find him here.”

“He’s in Cragen’s office with Liv.”

Jolie glanced at the closed door the detective had gestured to and sighed. “I can wait.”

She was guided to a chair across from a desk, one she assumed belonged to the detective when he sat across from her. “Do you work at the DA’s office? I don’t think I’ve seen you around and I’m pretty sure I would have noticed you.”

The blond sitting at a desk within her line of sight rolled her eyes causing Jolie bite back a chuckle. “No, I run a nonprofit.”

“Wait, you’re Jocelyn Rutherford. I’ve read about your foundation.” This was the from the blond who’d rolled her eyes.

“Rutherford by birth.” She had changed her name to Barba, but they liked to keep their public lives separate. As an ADA he didn’t need it publicized who his wife and children were, for safety reasons, nor did they need to draw attention to the Rutherford name.

“I’m Detective Rollins. What do you need with Barba?”

“His knowledge on a certain incident.” She grumbled, still upset about Rafael’s part in the events from that morning.

“I’m Nick by the way.” The detective across from her said.

“I prefer Jolie to Jocelyn.” She stated staring in the direction he had pointed to earlier.

“Para ser un hombre la suerte suficiente para tenerte. (To be a man lucky enough to have had you.)” Nick muttered under his breath.

Jolie smirked, eying the man across from her humorously. Sure the comment had been crude, but she also knew he didn’t think she understood him… not that that made it ok. She wasn’t easily offended though and enjoyed making people stumble a bit. “Solo uno ha tenido tanta suerte. (Only one mans been that lucky.)”

Nick’s eyes widened. “You speak Spanish?”

“Pretty fluently now.”

“Would it be too forward of me to ask for your number?” He asked, leaning towards her and speaking softly.

“No, but my husband might find issue with it if I complied.”

“Husband? I didn’t see a ring, I wouldn’t have asked if I had.” Nick backtracked.

“It’s ok. Flattering even. I’ve never liked wearing rings, neither of us wear one.”

“Yes, but it lets people know you’re off the market.”

“So does me telling you that I am.” Jolie countered.

Nick eyes squinted with his smirk. “You must trust your husband.”

“Implicitly,” she smiled.

“Rings also symbolize the commitment you’ve made to each other.” Nick continued, deciding he wasn’t quite ready to give up the argument.

“Believe me, the symbol we have chosen is much more permanent than a ring that can easily be removed.” Jolie smiled as she thought about the faded ‘Rafael’s’ tattooed above her hip bone… his ‘Jolie’s’ tattooed in the same place on him. Nick was about to inquire what she meant when Rafael exited Cragen’s office, the women she assumed was Olivia Benson and a slightly older man, Fin she thought he’d said, emerging with him.

Jolie stood but waited until he finished his conversation to speak. Rafael smirked when he noticed her.

“Did you bestow some of your wisdom on Allison?” Jolie asked calmly.

“I always bestow my wisdom on Allison. You’ll need to be more specific.” The corners of Rafael’s lips turned upward as he flipped through a file.

“Did you help her outline arguments in an effort to discredit her teacher?” Jolie annoyance was clearly present now.

“If her teacher was wrong...” Rafael started.

“She’s eleven!”

Rafael smiled not letting his wife’s anger effect him as he moved towards her. “It’s never too early to learn how to present your case.”

“Well she’s at home now, serving her suspension.”

“She got suspended for calmly laying out her facts to her teacher?” Rafael now stood in front of her, an eyebrow raised in disbelief.

“No. She got suspended for inciting the class to chant ‘question everything’ over and over again.” Jolie huffed.

“I’m sorry, but that’s on you.” Rafael said, tilting his head down and cutting his eyes to her.

“How so? I didn’t know about any of this.”

“Yes but you are the one who initiated a sit in to get the commencement speaker removed from her graduation ceremony. Those are your genes.” He smirked.

“Can you at least talk with your daughter about choosing her battles?” Jolie sighed, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head against his chest as he placed his arms around her.

“Now she’s my daughter?”

“She’s always _your_ daughter…” Jolie grumbled despite the smile sneaking onto her lips, “just talk to her.”

“Ok.” He breathed into her hair as he kissed the top of her head.

“Did you just hit on Barba’s wife?” Rollins chuckled low enough that only Nick could hear her as she moved to stand next to him.

“Shut up.” Nick huffed.

“You’re married?” Liv asked, furrowing her brow slightly since he hadn’t even hinted at his home life. Of course he always figured Jolie’d turn up at his work at some point.

“Fourteen years now.” Barba relaxed his hold on Jolie, letting his arm fall loosely around her waist.

“And you have a daughter?” Rollins had pegged him as a perpetually single workaholic, so much so that the idea of him having a family felt disconcerting.

“Two, and a son.”

The blond detective’s brow furrowed again and Jolie took the opportunity to speak. “Will you be home for dinner?”

Rafael glanced at Liv who slightly shrugged. “Most of the evidence is already gathered, it’s just a matter of putting the pieces together.”

“And we don’t even have a date for trial yet…” Rafael nodded as he thought, turning his attention back to Jolie. “I should be home.”

“Any preference?”

“Anything but pizza.”

Jolie chuckled, but mostly because she’d order one at least once a week and he’d grumble every time. “Calzones then.” Rafael looked unamused. “Lasagna.”

“I’ll pick something up…”

“That grilled chicken dish you like with potatoes and veggies?”

Rafael eyed her curiously. “Who’s cooking?”

“I’ll have Cate help me.” Her abilities in the kitchen could only be attributed to the amount of time she spent with Lucia and Catalina. It was never an interest of Jolie’s and Rafael could manage when needed, but was rarely home.

“Who’s Cate?” Rollins couldn’t help herself. The new information about the prosecutor they’d been getting to know over the last four months had sparked her inquisitive nature.

“Middle child,” Jolie smiled. “I’ll let you get back to work.” She patted Rafael’s chest, quickly pushing up to kiss him. “Text me when you have an idea of when you’ll head home.”

“Catalina is going to love the fact that Allison is suspended.” Rafael smirked.

Jolie chuckled, “especially when Allison finds out I hired a tutor to keep her studies structured while she’s home from school.”

Rafael smiled and shook his head, watching his wife all but skip out of the precinct.

“You married a Rockefeller?” Rollins’ amusement was clearly showing in her features.

“I married the girl who lived in the dorm room across the hall from mine. I didn’t know her father was Malcolm Rutherford until we spent our first Christmas together.” He smiled as his mind drifted back to their early days in Cambridge. It seemed so long ago now.

“It explains the suits.” Fin, who had been quietly standing by, smiled at the offended look Rafael had given. “I’m just saying… ADA’s don’t make that much.”

Rafael exhaled but didn’t argue… how could he? He didn’t even glance at the price tags anymore, just picked out what he liked. It was a luxury his marriage afforded him, one he rather liked.

“So… Jeremy Jones?” Liv’s voice pulled them all back to the case at hand with only one small grumble heard.

Rafael leaned against her desk, switching back to work mode as they began discussing the evidence they had and still needed for conviction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m not rewatching all the episodes, just the ones with Barba and had already written how I wanted them to meet her so I didn’t look into Nick’s marital status. I know there was an off and on period with his ex wife, but I really don’t remember when that was so for this story we’ll just say it’s already passed and the relationship with Rollins hasn’t started yet.


	6. Funny Valentine

“What are you listening to?”

The song had played at least fifteen times at that point. Not the whole song, just the beginning… over and over and over again, with brief interruptions of what appeared to be silence from the room Jolie had been in.

Allison paused the show she was watching with her siblings. “A special on Micha Green, I’m buying her album when it comes out.”

“Does it only have the one song?”

Allison rolled her eyes and resumed her show.

Jolie chuckled lightly, deciding that now would be as good a time as any to make dinner. The kitchen was across the house from the playroom turned family room her kids were watching television in. Just far enough to not have to hear the repetitive bit of the segment anymore.

“Micha’s music isn’t bad.”

Jolie smiled when Cate settled herself on the stool opposite the kitchen island from where she was gathering what she needed to cook. “I never said it was.”

“You didn’t exactly sound pleased with it.”

“I was just tired of hearing the same clip of the song on repeat.” Jolie glanced at the two casserole dishes she’d pulled out, putting the larger of the two back.

“What are you making?”

“Those lasagna roll up things your dad likes.”

Cate climbed off the chair and pulled the large pot from a lower cabinet. “You’ll want the larger casserole dish.” Jolie frowned at the dish she had been pretty sure was the right one, but traded it out for the one her daughter suggested. “Grab the large skillet too.”

“This one?”

“Yep.” Cate barely poked her head out of the fridge as she gathered the ingredients they’d need. “Go ahead and start the water boiling.”

Jolie filled the pot Cate had sat on the counter with water then sat it on the stove. By the time she turned around, Cate had most of the ingredients arranged on the counter and was chopping an onion. “Do you want me to measure out the carrots?”

“Yeah, put them in this bowl.” Cate gestured to the bowl she was dumping her chopped onion into.

Jolie smiled as she watch her daughter work effortlessly in the kitchen. After placing the shredded carrots in the bowl she stepped out of the way, knowing Cate would give her further instructions if she wanted help with something.

Cate had the carrots, onion, and garlic cooking on the stove and was chopping basil when she noticed the water was boiling. “Salt the water and place the lasagna noodles in.”

Cooking pasta was a task Jolie could manage, even if the noodles were long and had to be coaxed into the water slowly to prevent breaking. She worked beside her daughter as Cate returned to the stove to toss in the spinach along with a little water, covering the greens so they’d cook down. Jolie stirred her noodles once they were all in the water and placed the wooden spoon across the top of the pot to keep it from boiling over.

“I thought we talked about using our children a servants.” Rafael smirked at his little joke, kissing his wife’s cheek as his arm slipped around her waist.

“She took over.”

Cate chuckled, dumping the basil, ricotta, and grated parmesan into the pan with the veggies on the stove, carefully stirring everything together. “Mom gets in a rush and misses steps,” she pulled the pan from the heat and shut off the burner, “I kind of wanted to enjoy dinner tonight.”

“I was going to grab the recipe…” Jolie grumbled.

“Like that would matter.” Cate smirked.

“How did they all get your smirk?”

“Just lucky I guess.” Rafael grinned when Jolie wiggled out of his arm so she could pull the noodles from the stove. “Is this your contribution?” He was borderline chuckling at that point.

Jolie poured the noodles into a colander and turned to Cate, who immediately started half tossing, half laying the hot noodles out on a pan. “Remind me next time not to pick a meal because he likes it.”

“Sure,” Cate chuckled. “Here,” she handed them each a spoon and placed the filling close enough for them all to be able to reach, “make yourselves useful.”

Rafael smiled and after washing his hands, joined the other two in filling and rolling the noodles into spindles, placing each finished one in the casserole dish. Once it was filled, Cate poured marinara over everything, topped it off with mozzarella, placed it in the oven, and set the timer.

“I’ll let you two clean up.” She grinned, skipping out of the room before either parent could object.

Rafael chuckled, rolling his shirt sleeves up as Jolie gathered the dirty dishes bringing them closer to the sink.

“I suppose it’s only fair,” Jolie smirked, “she did the actual cooking.”

“Dinner will be eatable then.” His laugh was cut short by her elbow jabbing into his side. “I’m only kidding.”

“Sure you are.”

Truthfully, her cooking wasn’t that bad, but she would occasionally skip a step or leave something out making that meal in particular questionable. When the kids had been little, _especially while she had been pregnant for basically three years straight,_ she’d hired a full time chef and nutritionist to ensure her children where getting the appropriate nutrients they needed. She’d continued to work from home, not wanting to hirer a full time nanny like her parents had, but took advantage of her means to hirer additional help. The kids had had a nanny, just not one that replaced her. Janet had come into their home in the mornings and left after lunch, providing care for the children while she got work done during the time of day she worked most efficiently, then leaving them for Jolie to contend with in the afternoon. The chef would ensure all meals were taken care of which had been a huge help to Jolie while she had three children under the age of five. Once they were more self sufficient, she’d wanted her kids to learn to cook, or at least be independent enough to feed themselves, so she’d opted to set an example by cooking dinner at least three nights a week. After five years, it appeared Rafael and Cate were the only ones to actually benefit from her decision. Rafael prepared a meal once every other week at best, but still managed to be better at it than Jolie.

“Your chicken parmesan is good.”

Jolie rolled her eyes at his attempt to make her feel better. “The chicken is always dry and sometimes a little chewy.”

Rafael bit back his chuckle a little too late to avoid the glare from his wife. “The seasoning is fantastic though.”

“That’s because I use the mix Cate put together. I literally dump the amount she told me to in with the breadcrumbs.”

“Measuring is you strong suit.” This time he didn’t fight the chuckle, but he was safely on the opposite side of the kitchen from her elbows, wiping down the counter as Jolie filled the dishwasher.

Jolie flattened her brow in disapproval of his small jab—a running joke about her only being useful in the kitchen when it was math related. She still couldn’t bake and that was all about measuring ingredients correctly, or so she thought. Instead of biting back, she changed the subject. He’d mercilessly continue to tease her if she kept the conversation on her cooking skills. “How was work?”

Rafael sighed, moving himself to lean against the counter next his wife, tugging her into his arms when she closed the dishwasher. “SVU picked up a pretty high profile case.” Jolie’s eyebrow lifted with interest while waiting for him to continue. “Micha Green, a pop star, was beaten pretty badly by her boyfriend.”

“Caleb Bryant.” Jolie nodded, she’d caught a little more than just the song from the television show Allison had been watching.

Rafael’s lips twitched with amusement. “I didn’t think they fit your taste in music.”

“Allison was watching a special on Micha when I started dinner.”

“Is she a fan of Caleb as well?”

Jolie shrugged, “you’d have to ask her.”

Allison inspected the plate placed in front of her, lifting the a lasagna noodle suspiciously. “Mom made this?”

“She helped,” Cate smiled.

Jolie kept her muttered response to herself as Allison happily dug into dinner.

“Sierra's dad is some bigwig at Micha Green’s record label and Sierra…”

“Who’s Sierra?” Jolie interrupted her eldest, but only because she was pretty sure the name had never been mentioned before.

“A girl in my class,” Allison shrugged, her attention shifting to her father, “and she said her father could get us into the release party for Micha’s new single and…”

“Absolutely not,” Rafael huffed.

“But daddy…”

Rafael’s eyes were wide as they locked with his daughters. “No.”

“Her dad will be with us the whole time and the party falls on my birthday…”

“It wouldn’t matter if I could be with you the whole time, my answer would still be no.”

“This is so unfair.” Allison’s arms crossed across her chest as she plopped against the back of her chair.

“Life rarely is at eleven,” Jolie smirked, garnering an eye roll from her daughter.

“She’s almost twelve, mom.” Cate mimicked the dry tone Allison had used for the last month while reminding everyone she would be getting a year older on the twentieth, chuckling when Allison made a face at her.

“How could we forget.” Rafael smirked.

“And now it’ll be the worst birthday ever.” Allison muttered while picking at her food.

“We should cancel the party then?” Allison’s eyes widened at her fathers words. “I didn’t think so.”

Jolie heard voices coming from the family room when she dropped her bags in their office after arriving home from work. It was normal to hear voices, her children were rarely quiet, but the male voice she heard sounded older than Misael. Cate’s giggle drifted down the hall and Jolie’s brow almost immediately furrowed. She rounded the corner to find all three of her children watching television with Blake, Sarah, and Carter’s kids.

“I assume your parents know you’re all here?” Jolie sure hadn’t expected to find them there.

“My mom drop us off,” Logan nodded.

“And I made sure Emma called her mom when I did,” Riley stated.

Jolie smiled at the close knit group of friends. “As long as you’re all accounted for.”

Misael and Mason were playing with legos in one corner of the room; Cate, Riley, and Emma sat on the floor in front of the couch playing a board game, and Allison was sandwiched between Logan and Eli on the couch, stretched out so that a part of her draped over each boy. The dynamic between the three oldest kids had always been like that, and while Jolie worried that dynamic might be changing, the position appeared innocent enough.

She slipped out of the room, her intent to work a little longer in the office before determining what to eat for dinner, something she assumed would be a takeout order due to the number of mouths.

“Hey mom?” Jolie turned to find Allison following her. “Is dad really going to prosecute Caleb Bryant?”

“How much of the news did you see?”

Allison shifted her feet as she stared at the ground. “I didn’t actually see the news, people were spreading the picture of Micha all over school… I know it’s dad’s case though. His name was mentioned a few times, not always very fondly…”

“It’s your dad’s job, he doesn’t get to pick and choose who he prosecutes.”

“I know,” Allison sighed. “Is the picture real?”

“Real?”

“Some people were calling it a publicity stunt, a way to boost sales. Dad wouldn’t be involved if it had been faked.”

“The bruises are real.”

Allison chewed on her lip as she thought. “It was definitely Caleb?”

“As far as I know, but I’m not really involved with his case.”

“Could you be?”

Jolie furrowed her brow, “how so?”

Allison shifted again, “your work is helping women that need out of situations like that…”

“Among other things…” The Rutherford Foundation had a women’s shelter in its portfolio. The project had been a priority in the initial launch and one she made monthly inspections on to ensure both the quality of the building and staff were up to par. But her expertise lay in numbers and general logistics, not the day to day operations. As with all aspects of her foundation she’d hired the most qualified person to manage it.

“Yes, but domestic violence is a something you help women get out of.”

Jolie exhaled, realizing Allison’s question stemmed from concern. “You really like Micha don’t you?”

“I like her story and I definitely like her better than Caleb, especially if he hurt her. Is there anything you can do?”

Jolie sighed, pulling her daughter to sit on the couch in the office next to her. “The Rutherford Foundation helps house people seeking refuge. That often includes domestic violence, but Micha has the means to create her own refuge. I suppose if she wanted help we could provide legal advice or a list of counselors… I’ve got a long list of ones that are extremely discrete,” she’d had more than a handful of women from high society subtly ask for help over the years, “but you can’t force someone to leave before they’re ready.”

“Why would she go back to that?” Allison couldn’t wrap her head around the idea of being with someone who’d hit her.

Jolie tugged Allison closer, wrapping her arm over her shoulder. “I hope you always think that way.”

“That didn’t answer my question.” Allison slumped into her mothers side for the first time in a long time.

“Relationships are complicated. Some people don’t have examples of healthy ones which makes it harder to know what’s normal and what’s not. Sometimes women think they can change men—I should note that what I’m saying goes both ways. Sometimes they think they are so in love that they forgive more than they should. I’m not sure where Micha falls, but I do know she has the added complication of her career to consider. The way the demise of her relationship will play out publicly may be a contributing factor to her choices. I’m not saying that it should be a factor but she’s young and…”

“You can’t force her to leave. I get it.” Allison nodded.

“I know there’s an order for him to stay a thousand yards from her.”

“So he has to stay away?”

“Legally.”

Allison huffed out a puff of air. “That doesn’t mean a whole lot does it?”

“I know your father will do what he can and from what he’s told me about the detectives at SVU, they’ll push harder than most to protect her.”

“I guess that’s better than nothing…” Allison stood, making her way back to her friends.

“Oh, Allison?” The shorter replica of Jolie paused at the door, turning to face her mother. “Find out what the majority want for dinner and I’ll place an order.”

“We ordered pizza maybe ten minutes ago.”

“Oh... ok.”

Allison’s father's smirk graced her lips. “I made sure to get that dessert pizza you like.”

Jolie smiled at her eldest. “Thanks for thinking of me.”

“You want me to get you when it gets here or just bring you a plate?”

Jolie glanced at the financial statements she’d brought home with the intention of organizing to send to the accountant for the foundations quarterly reports. “I’ll take a plate.”

Allison nodded, slipping out of the room as Jolie spread the paperwork out on her desk.

Rafael had been late from work almost every night that week, and while it allowed Jolie to get caught up on work—more than caught up on work—she was ready for this particular case to be over.

The bed shifted, prompting Jolie to smile when Rafael crawled in bed next to her. He’d been careful to be quiet when sneaking into the bedroom and waited until the bathroom door was closed before switching on the light, but it hadn’t mattered. She hadn’t fallen asleep yet.

“How was your day?”

“Did I wake you?”

Jolie grinned and cupped his cheek, pushing up to kiss his freshly brushed mouth. “I hadn’t fallen asleep yet.”

“I offered a plea, but it’s moot now.”

Jolie nodded, “I saw Wendy Williams.”

“You did?”

She couldn’t actually see his expression in the dark, but she could tell by the inflection that his brows were raise at least halfway up his forehead. “Let me rephrase, Allison was watching television and I didn’t leave the room.”

He lightly chuckled in her ear. “That makes more sense.”

“Why were you so late if the case has fizzled?”

“SVU arrested Caleb for violated the order to stay away. I’m arraigning him tomorrow.”

“You’re hope is to scare him enough to keep them away from each other?”

“Stress the seriousness of breaking the order.” His arms tightened around her, pulling her against his chest. “How’s Allison doing?”

Jolie grinned into his shoulder. “She grumbled and rolled her eyes at his friendship ring and then flipped the television off.”

“I knew she was smart enough to see through corny crap like that.”

This time Jolie actually chuckled. “I’ll remind you that you said that when she actually starts dating.”

Rafael groaned, playfully shoving her away form him, though not enough to actually put space between their bodies.

Allison grinned when she entered the kitchen to find her father sitting at the table. “I didn’t think you’d be able to make it this year.”

“Yet you’re up earlier than everyone else and already ready for school.” Rafael smirked.

“I was hopeful.”

Rafael stood, handing her the jacket he’d pulled from the coat closet. “We should go before they run out of pancakes.”

Allison rolled her eyes while slipping the jacket on before tugging her backpack over a shoulder. “You’re such a dork.”

He feigned offense at his daughters words. “I am not.”

“You’ve said that every year since I was a little kid despite the fact that they will not run out of pancakes. It’s literally the staple of what they serve.”

“It got you moving then.”

“I’m not a little kid anymore.”

“I know,” he smiled while checking his watch, “in exactly two hours and thirty seven minutes you’ll be twelve.”

“Are you going to be like this throughout the entire breakfast?” Allison grumbled as she started for the front door.

Rafael smiled to himself as he followed. “Possibly.”

Rafael took each of his kids out for breakfast on their birthdays—or as close to their birthdays as he could manage. It had started when Cate was seven months old. Jolie was struggling to set up for Allison’s second birthday party with an infant and a toddler both competing for her attention. He’d offered to help, but the party had been something she’d been looking forward to decorating for. She thought she’d fare better once Cate settled down for a nap, but Allison was still under foot. Rafael suggested taking her to the diner down the street to get her out of the house for a bit and the tradition stuck.

“Are you varying up your order now that you’re so much older or sticking with your fruity pebble pancakes?”

Allison glared at her father over her menu, his own menu hiding the smirk she knew resided behind it. “I don’t know, are you sticking with boring old blueberry?”

“I am.”

Allison shrugged, grinning at her father as she laid her menu down. “Why break with tradition.”

“Are you still thinking about signing up for debate next year?” A coffee mug was placed in front of him as the waitress filled it.

Allison eyed it curiously as she nodded. “I am. Can I try your coffee?”

Rafael glanced at the cup that he intended to drink black, then shifted his attention to the waitress. “Can you bring another cup for the preteen to experiment with?”

The waitress chuckled at Allison’s huffy eye roll and nodded. “Just a sec.”

“Why do you have to be so embarrassing?”

“Because it’s fun.” Rafael smirked.

The waitress returned with a second cup, filling it as she place creamer on the table.

“You drink it just as it is?” Allison spun the cup in her hands, testing the temperature.

“I do, but the bitterness is an acquired taste. Your mom adds sugar; she’s not big on cream, and your bela may as well add coffee to a cup of milk.”

Allison chuckled. “So what you’re saying is that it’s up to me to figure out how I like my coffee.”

“Pretty much, but considering every adult you’re related to drinks it there’s a pretty good chance your addiction will start today.”

“Doesn’t it stunt your growth?” Allison tentatively brought the cup to her lips, more afraid of burning herself like she did every time she drank hot cocoa than the taste.

“You’re mother’s five one, what height were you expecting to inherit?” Rafael chuckled, taking his own sip.

Allison made a face at the coffee, pulling the sugar packets closer. “I was hoping to be at least an inch taller than her,” she dumped one packet in, smiling as she stirred, “just to rub it in.”

Rafael lightly chuckled as he swallowed his latest sip. “You do know she actually likes being short.”

Allison tested her coffee now that it was a little sweeter, then dumped another packet in. “Maybe I do want to stunt my growth then, so that I remain shorter than her.”

“Why do you have to do things based on your mothers reaction at all?”

Allison grinned with her latest sip, both because she actually liked it and because of her response. “Mom’s kind of adorable when she’s huffy about something. Sometimes she’s driving me nuts and I do things I regret as intentional payback, but mostly I just annoy her to the point where her face gets all scrunched up and I know she’s close to getting worked up. It’s really funny in an I love her and she’s adorable kind of way.”

“You really are a mini me…” Rafael muttered into his coffee mug. He’d spent nearly the last two decades perfecting getting just that reaction out of his wife.

“Is that what you two think?”

Rafael nodded, smirking behind his cup. “That stubborn streak you have, that’s all me.”

“Abuelita says I have your mouth too… whatever that means.”

He chuckled and set his coffee on the table. “That you get yourself in trouble with your words.”

“You were a smart ass when you were my age?”

“Language,” he looked at her pointedly only to be met with an unamused glare, “and I’m still a smart ass.”

Allison chuckled, taking another sip of coffee. “Can I have a refill?”

“One, if you’re anything like your mother I’ll be getting a call about you talking incessantly in class if you have too much caffeine.”

“I’m pretty sure the fruity pebble pancakes will set that train in motion.”

“Or you’ll suffer from a sugar crash by second period.” Rafael smirked, finishing off his coffee just in time for the waitress to refill it and take their order.

“Misa! Come on.” Cate motioned with her hand for him to catch up to them as they exited the restaurant.

“I’m not five.” He grumbled while pushing her hand away when she reached to hold his.

“I’d treat you like you were older if you acted like it.” Cate was the most mature of their three children—most days—and Misael was by far the least.

Allison rolled her eyes and tapped her mother’s arm, gesturing back over her shoulder at her two younger siblings.

Jolie exhaled, pausing her family on the relatively empty sidewalk. “What’s going on?”

“Cy was almost left behind because he was too busy looking at fish.”

“I would have caught up, besides I know where dads office is. You can literally see it from the restaurant.” Misael grumbled while pointing at One Hogan Place.

Allison leaned in close so that only her mother could hear her. “Have you had the period talk with Cate?”

Jolie had very recently reminded Allison of the symptoms to look for, but neither of her girls had actually started yet. “Not recently.”

Allison smirked, glancing back at her sister. “I’m just saying, she has been more than a little snappy lately.”

Jolie ignored her oldest. Cate had moments where her mothering tendencies tended to project as bossy. This was most likely the case and her eldest was simply hoping to stir the pot. “Cate, let your brother walk on his own, and Misa… stop getting distracted.” She started the group forward again, pausing once more when muted bickering could be heard behind her.

Her children were all roughly the same height; Misael and Cate both standing at four four, while Allison came in just an inch taller. She figured it wouldn’t be long before he overtook them both in height, but at least she had a few years before he outgrew her. That height difference came in handy when she wanted to appear authoritative. “We are about to enter your father’s place of work and I will not have the two of you acting like you have no respect for neither him nor me. Can you get yourselves together or do I need to have our car take you home now?”

“I’ll behave.”

“Sorry mom.”

The two responses were muttered simultaneously, the latter of which came from her middle child.

Jolie exhaled again, turning to lead them up the steps. She knew they’d quietly sulk behind her until they reached Rafael’s office, but they wouldn’t dare run the risk of missing out on seeing their father.

Allison stopped dead in her tracks as Micha Green exited her fathers office. Her feet quickly started working again, but Jolie stopped her before she could make a beeline for the young star.

“Now’s not the time.” Jolie said soft enough for Allison to hear her, but give the girl passing them some privacy.

Allison frowned, but nodded when she noticed Micha wipe tears from her cheeks.

Jolie lightly tapped on the open door and poked her head inside. “I have your entire brood with me.”

Rafael shook his head with his chuckle and motioned her in. “Liv, you remember Jolie?” Liv nodded, eyes widening a bit as she scanned the three children entering through the door behind her. “These are my children; Allison, Catalina, and Misael.”

“It’s nice to put faces with names.” Rafael limited talking about his family life at work, but Liv had pried a bit once she found out about them.

“You’re Benson?” Allison eyed her as though she were the sole reason her father worked late most nights.

“Not a fan I guess.” Liv smiled when Jolie did.

“Ignore her,” Jolie moved to the round table to set out the to go order she’d placed for Rafael, “she likes to pretend she’s more intimidating than she actually is when she first meets people.”

“Another one of my traits?” Rafael smirked, slipping in beside her to help.

Jolie elbowed him and gestured to Liv. “Why didn’t you tell me Benson was here? I could have gotten her something too.”

“Liv, please, and thanks for the offer but I was just leaving.” Liv smiled, gathering the few things she needed to carry back to the precinct. “We’ll touch base after the grand jury?”

Rafael exhaled as he thought about the morning that lay ahead. “Bring coffee.”

Cate waited for the door to close after Liv exited before she sat down at the table across from her father. “So that’s Benson?”

“That’s Benson.” He nodded.

She leaned back slightly. “She’s almost exactly what I pictured.”

Rafael chuckled as he opened the plastic container. “How you pictured her?”

“Yep.” Cate nodded, smiling when he smirked at her.

“Do you need me to get them out of your hair or can they bug you while you eat?” Jolie felt him shift his shoulders as she kneaded the muscles under his suit jacket.

“If you keep doing that I may not let you leave at all.” Jolie grinned and applied more pressure. “I can wait to outline my questions for the grand jury until after I finish eating.”

The other two kids grinned and took places on either side of Cate at the round table, Allison starting the dialogue off with a long string of questions about what Micha Green was like in person.

Rafael took a breath when he reached his daughter’s bedroom door. He was home early for a change. Still not early enough to beat everyone else home, but early for him. Jolie had texted that Allison was upset, but he’d known from the moment he’d seen the news report of Micha’s death that she’d be upset. It was why he’d left work as early as deadlines would allow. It was also why he was carrying a pint of ice cream with him.

He exhaled and knocked on her door, cracking it open when her muffled response seeped through. “Can I come in?”

“I guess…”

“I brought you ice cream.” He had to forcibly fight back his chuckle when her eyes landed on the container. Much like her mother, she couldn’t resist something sweet.

“What flavor?” The container from her favorite ice cream place was unmistakable.

Rafael let the smile slip when she inched closer, taking the ice cream and spoon from him. “Cake batter.”

“That’s my favorite.”

“I know.” It was her mothers too. “How are you doing with everything?”

“I’m sad, but I realize I didn’t actually know Micha. Mostly, I think I’m disappointed.”

“Disappointed?” It wasn’t the response he expected.

“Yeah,” Allison scooped out a large bite of ice cream, “I can’t believe she went back to him.” The spoon was shoved in her mouth, but it didn’t stop her from talking. “That she lied for him, ignored everyone looking out for her, and ultimately put herself in a position for him to kill her.”

Rafael sighed, tucking her under his arm. “Neither of them grew up in stable households and love can make you do unbelievably stupid things... especially when you're young.” Allison cut her eyes up at him as she ate another spoonful of ice cream. “I’m not making an excuse for what happened, just trying to help you understand why she may have made the choices she made.”

“I doubt love made you ever do anything stupid…”

“I broke up with your mom for a couple months because some guy she had no interest in liked her and I was jealous.”

“You did?” Rafael nodded. “She’s never mentioned that.”

“It isn’t her favorite moment.”

“You two are annoyingly happy together.” Allison grinned as she dug into her ice cream again. “I can only hope to be that lucky.”

“Pick someone for the right reasons and I’m sure you will be.”

“What are the right reasons?”

Rafael chuckled with his shrug. “They’re different for everyone.”

“What will happen to Caleb?”

“Charges are up to local authorities.”

Allison scooped another large bite of ice cream. “So he’ll get away with it…”

“I didn’t say that, I… I just have no say in what charges are filed.”

“And Brass?”

Rafael sighed. “I still have no witnesses."


	7. Legitimate Rape

Rafael climbed into bed much later than he would have liked. Jolie was rarely asleep before he joined her so it didn’t surprise him when she rolled over letting her arm drape loosely across his chest.

“You worked late.”

“You remember that case from seven or so months ago with the sports reporter who was raped by her camera man?”

Jolie nodded. “Avery Jordan and that creepy Purcell guy.”

“Trial starts tomorrow.”

Jolie exhaled when he did. “She’s what, eight months pregnant now?”

“Something like that.”

“It’ll be an emotional experience for her… more emotional than most.”

“Believe me I know, we’ve been prepping for a week.”

Jolie pulled herself high enough to be face to face with him. “You’re not being the terse version of yourself that you typically display at work are you?”

“No,” he half grumbled, “not with all she’s been through and being that pregnant. I don’t want her breaking down on the stand.”

“Good.” She pushed herself closer and pressed her lips to his, quickly kissing him. “You should get some sleep so you can take down her creepy stalker rapist in court.”

“Hey mom?”

Jolie marked her spot in her book when Cate entered the home office where she’d escaped for a bit of quiet. “What’d you need?” Cate settled in next to her on the small couch, taking much longer to speak than was normal for her middle child. “Cate?”

“Jacob Reyes, he’s in Mrs. Henley’s class not mine… but he kind of asked me to be his girlfriend.” Cate held out her phone so Jolie could read a text she’d received, but had yet to respond.

It was clearly the writing of a ten year old and fairly reminiscent of the ‘yes, no, maybe’ notes that had been passed around her own fourth and fifth grade classrooms. “Do you want to be Jacob’s girlfriend?”

“Not really.”

The huffed out response gave the appearance of annoyance, yet she’d managed to sound empathetic as well. Catalina had somehow inherited both her father's abrupt truthfulness and Jolie's tendency to care too much about the feelings of others.

“You’re not obligated to say yes just because he asked.”

“I know. That’s not what I came to ask you about.”

Jolie’s brow furrowed. “Ok, what did you want to ask me?”

“Well…” Cate exhaled, “Riley likes Jacob and I can’t decide if I should tell her about the text or not.”

“Is Riley the only reason you don’t want to say yes to Jacob?” Jolie had never heard her youngest daughter mention boys before, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t interested.

Cate scrunched up her face in disgust. “Boys are Allison’s department.”

“Ok,” Jolie chuckled, “so your concern is for Riley’s feelings?”

“She’s my best friend and the fact that he sent this will upset her.” Cate dropped her phone on the couch in frustration. “I don’t know if I should tell her or just hope that Jacob doesn’t tell anyone and she doesn’t find out.”

Jolie thought she’d heard the name Jacob mentioned once or twice, but knew absolutely nothing about the kid. “Is Jacob the type to tell people you turned him down?”

Cate shrugged. “I don’t think so. I think he’d be embarrassed, he’s kind of quiet.”

Jolie nodded as she thought. “You’re in a tough spot kid. If you tell Riley up front you risk upsetting her for no reason…”

“And she’ll be mad at me even though I’m not the one who sent the text.” Cate grumbled.

“Possibly,” Jolie smiled, “but if you don’t tell her and she finds out you face a similar outcome with the added possibility that she’s mad because you didn’t tell her.”

Cate groaned as she buried her face in the back cushion. “Why did he have to text me?”

“Perhaps because he likes you.”

Cate side eyed her mother and Jolie failed to hide her amusement. “Thanks…”

“I’m sorry,” Jolie chuckled, “you just look so much like your father when you do that.”

“I’d really like to know what to do here.”

“Normally I’d tell you to be honest with Riley, but sometimes…” she pursed her lips as she decided whether she was actually giving her daughter sound advice, “sometimes it’s nicer not to say anything. Yes, she may find out, and if she does you’ll have to apologize for not telling her, but it’s the only option where there’s the possibility of not hurting her at all. Crushes at your age are fleeting, so chances are she’ll have moved on to someone else in a month or so anyway.”

“This is true,” Cate chuckled, “Riley only decided she liked Jacob when Logan got a girlfriend anyway.”

“What’s with everyone having a crush on Logan?” Rafael had entered the office just in time to hear Cate’s last statement.

“You’ll be happy to know that I don’t,” Cate smiled, “in fact I have no interest in boys whatsoever.” She grabbed her phone, gave her father a quick hug, and skipped out of the room.

His concerned eyes met Jolie’s. “Do I want to know?”

“Some boy in her class asked her to be his girlfriend, but she’s apparently not interested.”

“This isn’t going to get easier for me anytime soon is it?”

“Probably not,” Jolie chuckled, “did your jury come back?”

Rafael huffed out a grunt, slipping his arm around her when she joined him at his desk. “They found him guilty of stalking, that’s it.”

“Someone bought that congressman’s bullshit opinion on how female anatomy works?” He felt her body tense in anger under his arms.

“It only takes one holdout for a jury to compromise. The stress of everything sent Avery into early labor.”

Jolie squeezed her arms around his waist. “That’s not surprising. I assume he got time served.”

“Yep, he’s out and free to find new ways to torment her.” Rafael’s phone vibrated between both of them from within his jacket pocket and Jolie pulled back so he could check it. “Like he’s suing for full custody…”

“Let me know if I can help.”

“I’ll see if Rita will take her case in family court. He may not be a convicted rapist, but most judges overseeing the case would see him for what he is.”

“Yes, but a lot will take into account how the law is written.”

“I still think Rita is her best option at the moment.”

Jolie nodded, interlocking her fingers with his. “People like Purcell never actually stop, you know that.”

“I do, but your options tend to be fairly drastic.”

“That they do,” she tugged him behind her, ignoring the glance he made at the briefcase he’d set on his desk, “help me make dinner so our children will complain about something else tonight.”

Rafael audibly exhaled, but followed his wife, only smiling when she smirked over her shoulder at him.

Jolie sat in her office looking over a budget proposal for a staff increase and much needed updates to the Staten Island shelter. It was doable, but she’d have to shift funds around to make it happen. Maybe she could hit a few people up for larger donations at the annual charity event The Rutherford Foundation held every April.

“Jolie?”

“Yes, Tricia.” Jolie leaned back in her chair when her assistant’s head poked into her office.

“A Rita Calhoun is here,” Tricia looked more timid than she normally appeared, “she doesn’t have an appointment, but she’s rather insistent.”

“She always has been,” Jolie lightly chuckled, “send her in.”

The redheaded attorney didn’t give Tricia time to speak before entering Jolie's office, a meek looking brunette holding a small baby in tow. “Your office is nicer than Barba’s.”

Jolie’s father owned the building where The Rutherford Enterprise’s main headquarters were located, and it had only made sense to dedicate a floor to The Rutherford Foundation. It was more than enough room for her staff and she’d completely gutted the space to renovate it to fit her taste. The floor to ceiling windows that surrounded the forty eighth floor were left visible throughout, creating a light and airy feel for her entire staff—even those stuck in cubicles. Her office had glass windows facing the main work space with the option of solid shades for privacy when the situation called for it. The design was cohesive throughout, a modern clean look of mostly white and gray with accents of deep matte blue.

“I had complete control of my workspace, Raf did a nice job with the space he was given.” Jolie actually really liked Rafael’s office. They had different styles, but she didn’t feel one was necessarily better than the other.

“Raf?” The brunette glanced between the two woman and Rita nodded.

“This is ADA Barba’s wife. Jolie this is Avery Jordan, I assume Barba’s mentioned the case.”

“And that he was sitting in on family court with Olivia… If you’re here I assume that didn’t end so well.” Jolie motioned for them both to sit in the blue chairs facing her desk.

“They granted her rapist supervised visits every other Saturday.”

“I won’t have him anywhere near Theo.” The desperation in Avery’s voice tugged at Jolie’s heartstrings.

“I can’t do anything to alter the law if you remain in the US.”

“Yes, but you have connections in countries beyond extradition.” Rita was nothing if not direct.

“I do, some more hospitable than others. I assume you have savings?” Her question was directed to Avery who nodded.

“Not enough to live on forever, but enough to start fresh somewhere.”

Jolie pulled up options she had that she’d be willing to send a single mom with a baby. “How quickly does this need to happen?”

“Before Saturday.”

Jolie’s eyes widened. “That’s cutting the timeline pretty tight.”

Avery’s eyes locked with hers as she spoke. “That man has made my life hell for the last year, it ends now.”

“My suggestion would be either the Maldives or Montenegro. Your job opportunities would be limited, but I have contacts in both places to help get you on your feet.”

“Montenegro.”

Rita side eyed her client. “You’re sure?”

“I’ve been there on vacation… I can make it work.”

“Ok.” Jolie pulled up the information for her contact within Montenegro, making a few notes of things she needed to ensure she remember to include in Avery’s accommodations. “I’ll get started now in hopes of getting you out of the country before Saturday. Pack what you can; clothes, diapers and formula for the trip, favorite toys, things you’d miss if left behind… you won’t be able to come back.” Jolie tapped her pen on the desk as she thought out loud. “With this short of notice I’ll have to call in a favor with my father and possibly Jack Maxwell… he always has business in the UAE…” Both Rita and Avery furrowed their brows as Jolie sat her pen down. “Things for me to worry about. The plane will allow for more bags than a commercial flight, but I’d still limit it two large suitcases and a couple carry ons. You don’t want to draw too much attention.”

“Do you need anything else from me?”

“Just what you’re comfortable spending each month given your savings and whether you want some time at home with your baby. My contact will search out jobs, so a current resume would be helpful as well. Don’t worry about including contact info for former employers, it’s more about the skill set.”

Avery stood when Rita did. “I’m not sure what jobs Montenegro has for a sports reporter, but at this point I’d settle for anything.”

“Luka is discreet and well respected. He’ll get you the best job he can possibly find given your qualifications.”

“Thank you Jolie.” Rita looked as stern as she normally did, but her tone was appreciative.

“It’s just nice to see you on our side again.”

Jolie packed an overnight bag with a couple days worth of clothing. She intended to help Avery settle in and then head back—two nights max, but always threw in extra clothes just in case. Her father had business in Sweden that he’d pushed up to accommodate their time frame, Jack Maxwell had adjusted a trip to the UAE, another close business relation was traveling to Beijing, and all four flights had been arranged to leave within an hour of each other.

“Your fathers good with this?”

Jolie smiled and pushed up to kiss her husband. “It’s not the first time he’s helped out in this capacity, you now that.”

“I do, but it’s the first one tied to me.”

“He has business contacts in Montenegro so the company plane’s flight plan won’t draw suspicion, and Sweden is the perfect gray area to tie up a lot of wasted time if Purcell does figure out where the family plane landed.” There was nothing tying Avery to Jolie other than her marriage to Rafael, but she still felt it best to cover her tracks when helping someone disappear.

Rafael’s brow knitted. “How so?”

“While they technically have extradition, they tend to drag their feet.” Jolie smiled as she slung the bag over her shoulder. “Years could be spent trying to determine if she were even living in the country.”

Rafael smiled with his slight head shake. “Please be careful.”

“I always am,” she slipped a burner phone The Rutherford Foundation seemed to purchase in bulk into his hand, “I’ll call you on this when we land and then before I head back.”

Rafael sighed as he glanced at his watch. “You need to get going.”

Jolie pushed up to kiss him again. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“Finally.” Rita grumbled as she quickly let Jolie into Avery’s apartment.

“I promise the plane isn’t leaving without us.”

“Yes, but she’s late for the court mandated supervised visitation.” Rita gestured to Olivia whose eyes widened at Jolie’s presence.

Avery shoved a few last items in a duffle bag and took a breath. “I think that’s everything.”

Olivia moved closer as Avery double checked the items to be left behind on her kitchen table. “Are you sure this is the choice you want to make?”

Determination settled over Avery’s features as she nodded. “It’s the only choice I have.”

Olivia tugged her bottom lip between her teeth, turning to both Rita and Jolie. “Does Barba know you’re here?”

“Who do you think suggested I take Avery to her in the first place.” Rita smirked.

“Four private jets are set to depart for four different countries, all with little to no extradition policies. Her name won’t make the manifesto, neither will mine, and a new life will begin when we land.”

Olivia eyed Jolie curiously. “This is what you do?”

“Sometimes.”

Olivia exhaled as she glanced around the room. “As an officer I can’t condone this.”

“Are you making an arrest?” From the way Rafael had talked about the detective, Jolie doubted she would.

“Why? As far as I know Avery and Calhoun are right behind me,” Olivia walked closer to the exit as she spoke, only pausing to look back once she’d reached the door, “good luck Avery.”

Jolie grabbed the duffle bags, draping one over the handle of a rolling suitcase and the other across her chest. “We should go.”

“Right.” Avery looked slightly flustered, but settled Theo in his carrier. “Ok, I’m ready.”


	8. Girl Dishonored

“Mr. Barba?”

Rafael lifted his nose from the paperwork he was finalizing. “Yes Carmen.”

“Your wife’s here.”

He hadn’t been expecting his wife to swing by and from the look on Carmen’s face he could tell she was thrown by the midday intrusion. Jolie was the sweetest person most of the time, but could be extremely direct if external circumstances had impacted her mood. Carmen had only met Jolie a handful of times and based on this interaction he couldn’t decide if Jolie was irritated or if Carmen just wasn’t sure how to proceed. “Is she upset?”

A smile tugged at Carmen’s lips, answering his question before she actually spoke. “Should she be?” Rafael rolled his eyes and Carmen smiled. “She’s brought you lunch.”

“You can always interrupt paperwork for Jolie.” He shifted the work to one side, making a note of where he’d stopped. “She’s also very understanding if she swings by and I’m not available.”

“Good to know.” Carmen nodded, the smile still present. “I’ll let her in.”

Jolie grinned as she entered, taking it upon herself to pull the blinds closed and lock the door. She never did that in her office, but they also never ate in her office. He was rarely the one skipping out for a workday lunch with his wife and if he did they typically met a restaurant—somewhere closer to his work than hers. Jolie’s profession offered more day to day flexibility and she’d been well known at the Brooklyn DA’s office. The lines of professionalism had been blurred behind closed doors, but never outwardly.

Jolie’s world had trained her to masterfully traverse work settings, while providing her more than enough privilege to remain almost one hundred percent stress free. It was a luxury he’d never acclimated to. Subconsciously, he knew if he were to lose his job his life would remain the same—the affordability of their lifestyle anyway. Losing his job wasn’t an option though. He’d worked too hard to achieve his current status to not let the pressure get to him at times. Jolie was unbelievably understanding—something he attributed to the stress her father put on himself— and gave him space when needed, always finding the perfect moment to drag him back to the life they’d created together.

“Don’t you have actual work to do?”

Jolie smirked at him from his round table, watching as he made his way closer to her. “I was distracted today.”

“Distracted?”

“Yep.” She stopped him before he’d reached the table, her hands skimming his sides as she reached to wrap her arms around him. “You remember that closet of an office you and Casey used to share?”

“I do.” She hadn’t taken one item out of the bag containing the food she’d brought with her and her motives for the visit were suddenly suspect.

“And those late nights before Allison was born…” Jolie’s eyes met his and his brow quirked up in amusement.

“The ones where you promised to be quiet, but failed miserably.”

Jolie bit her lip, doing nothing to hide her grin. “I’m much more controlled now.”

“So lunch was a ruse?”

“I brought food.”

Rafael lightly chuckled while pushing a bit of hair behind her ear. “Thus fulfilling the ruse.”

Her fingers slid up the underside of his suspenders as she stepped closer. “I was merely reminiscing on those early days and how’d we’ve christened every office since then with the exception of this one and…

“You knew I had a light day.”

Jolie grinned while tugging him closer. “I promise you won’t hear a peep out of me.”

Rafael kissed her, walking them toward the couch placed along the wall furthest from the shared space just outside his office. “It’s no fun if you’re completely quiet.”

“Soft moans then.”

He tightened his lips with his chuckle. “It’ll have to be quick.”

“Quickish?”

Rafael nodded, watching his wife wiggle her panties out from under her dress and place them on the coffee table. “How do you want me?”

Jolie slid the suspenders from his shoulders, then pushed him so that he sat on the couch. “Where I can set the pace.” Her fingers unclasped his slacks and slid them along with his underwear out of the way when his hips lifted.

Her skirt was hiked higher as she straddled him, lowering herself onto him surprisingly easily given the lack of foreplay. “Been thinking about this a while?”

His expression displayed a hint of smugness, but Jolie didn’t mind. It only served to turn her on more. “All morning.” The words were groaned as her thighs met his.

She rested against his chest for a moment, letting his hands move about her hips before lifting and lowering herself once more. The sleeves of his dress shirt were rolled up, his exposed forearms stretched across her lower back as hands clamped onto her ass, helping to guide her movements. Jolie smiled from her vantage point, lowering her lips to his in an effort to fulfill her end of the bargain to remain quiet.

Rafael pushed her back down onto his lifting hips, the groan that escaped pulling a chuckle from both of them. “And I was worried that you’d be too loud.”

“I’m sure I’ll stress you out one evening when the floors mostly empty to more than make up for it.” She squeezed her inner walls when pushing back down on him, enjoying the clenching of his jaw as his eyes closed.

“What happened to that innocent little freshman living across the hall from me?”

Jolie chuckled, gripping his hair as she repeated the movement. “Her RA turned out to be a bad influence.”

“Really?” The word was strained, partially due to their activities but mostly because of the attempt to hide his humor. “I’m pretty sure he was an upstanding guy.”

“You would think that.”

“Enlighten me then.”

“The hot tub during the first trip we took with my family.”

Rafael chuckled. “That was you.”

“The first time we were alone on the plane together.”

“Also you.” Jolie bit her lip while smirking down at him, gripping his hair tighter when his thumb pressed against her clit. “Care to try again?”

“That time in the stacks…”

The corners of his lips tugged higher at the breathy words, his fingers working to circle the tiny bud faster. “Now that was fun.”

Jolie didn’t acknowledge whether she’d heard him, instead her body stiffened as her back arched. Rafael lifted his hips, taking control of his own release when her shuddering body sank down on him. Labored breaths skimmed across his neck as Jolie’s arms loosely rested around his neck, Rafael gently rocking into her as they both came back down.

“See…” he felt her cheek lift against his own with her smile, “you’re the bad influence.”

He lightly chuckled and lifted his hips once more. “We’ll have to agree to disagree.”

“I was the innocent freshman,” her smirking lips hovered just above his, “your words not mine.”

He pushed up to kiss her in his refusal to admit defeat.

Jolie sat across from him picking at the lunch she’d brought—the lunch that wouldn’t have been cold had they immediately eaten. “I should have picked up sandwiches.” Rafael shook his head as he took another bite. He was used to his lunch sitting out longer than he’d like, Jolie wasn’t. “What do you want for dinner?”

“Anything you want,” he smirked while lifting another forkful of food to his mouth, “I’m eating my lunch.” Jolie’s lips parted, quickly closing again when his phone rang. “Barba.” Jolie watched as he nodded, grunted affirmations into the receiver. “You have two victims; one being harassed out of pressing charges and the other opting for electroshock therapy to eradicate the assault from her memory?” Jolie’s brow furrowed as he eyed his food. “Yeah, give me half an hour.” The phone was sat on table along with his exhale.

“I take it you need to head to the precinct.”

Rafael nodded. “Yeah… raincheck on our lunch?”

“Sure, at least I got what I actually came for.” Jolie grinned when his eyes playfully met hers.

“Now who’s the bad influence?” He smirked, tugging her to her feet and into his arms.

The fine lines around Jolie’s eyes crinkled as she tucked in the corners of her lips in her fight to keep a straight face. “Still you.”

“How on Earth did you come to that conclusion?”

“Did you not want to take credit for the fact that your wife of fifteen years still gets so turned on at the mere thought of you that she’ll leave work for a midmorning tryst?”

His lips curled higher on one side as hovered above hers. “When you put it that way.”

She pushed up, softly pressing her lips to his, both of them ending the embrace much sooner than either would have liked. “Text me if you decide you have an opinion on dinner,” Jolie slipped out of his arms and tugged her purse over her shoulder, “or if you think you’ll be late.”

The penthouse was quiet. Too quiet. “Allison?” The child she always called out to first— mainly because she was the one most likely to be the ringleader of any trouble the other two might be in—popped up from the couch she’d been laying on in the formal living room causing Jolie to jump.

“Yeah?”

“What are you doing in here?”

“Reading.” Allison laid back out of sight, but extended the book high enough to be seen over the back of the couch.

“Where are Misael and Cate?”

“Cy’s in his room and Cate’s at Riley’s. She said she’d text you.”

Jolie pulled her phone from her purse, quickly finding the unseen text from her middle child. “Good book?”

“It was.”

Jolie rolled her eyes and headed upstairs to check on her son. The door to his room was left ajar, but the room was silent. “Misa?”

“Hey mom.”

She smiled when she found him working quietly at his desk. “What are you working on?”

“A social studies project.”

“Is it interesting?” Misael was writing, something he was typically less than willing to do without a little prodding from one of his parents or a teacher.

“We’re learning about ancient civilizations and once I turn in the written portion I can start building my catapult.”

“A catapult?”

She must have sounded more concerned than she’d intended because Misael stopped writing mid sentence to look at her. “Out of popsicle sticks. Mason and I are competing to see who can launch our marshmallow the farthest.”

Jolie grinned and ruffled her sons hair. “Sounds fun.” She exited the room, making her way to drop her purse off in the home office as her phone vibrated.

“If you order pizza please get me a salad.”

Jolie chuckled, quickly returning the text to her husband. “Would you prefer that veggie soup in fridge and half of a grilled cheese sandwich?”

“With tomato and avocado?”

“When do I make it without?” That sandwich was about the only thing Jolie could consistently make without complaints—the only thing not from a box anyway. There was a sun-dried tomato and artichoke pasta she could throw together… a couple other pasta dishes as well, but preferred not to eat pasta every evening. Breakfast was another meal she could handle and enjoyed cooking a full breakfast for dinner occasionally.

“Ok. I’m leaving in twenty minutes.”

Jolie was in the kitchen when Cate climbed into a stool at the counter. The girl watched her pull the items she wanted from the fridge, her brow knitting as she silently deciphered what her mom was making.

“Soup and sandwiches?”

Jolie smiled with her back to her daughter. “Did you want one?”

“I ate at Riley’s.”

“Was Eli there?” Allison sat in the seat next to her sister.

Jolie eyed her eldest, but remained quiet.

“No. He and Logan were working on some school project at Maddison’s house.”

“Oh…”

Cate’s lip curled up in amusement. “Do you like Eli?”

Allison rolled her eyes. “I was just curious if he’d been home.”

Jolie lightly chuckled to herself while the two girls were busy contending with each other. “Did you want a sandwich Allison?”

“I’ll take the other half of Cy’s and a little soup.”

Jolie nodded and pulled two identical skillets from the cabinet. She’d never successfully made two grilled cheese sandwiches in a row without burning the second and always opted to make them simultaneously.

“Where is Misael?” Rafael had joined them in the kitchen giving each of his daughters a hug.

“Finishing up a project.”

“Math?” His brow furrowed as he tried to determine what math project a third grader might have.

“Social studies.”

Rafael’s brow knitted tighter.

“There’s a catapult involved.” Allison stated without looking up from the phone she’d pulled out.

“Is that what he was going on and on about with Mason?” Cate was reading over her sister’s shoulder.

“Yep,” Allison scooted closer to Cate, “can you believe she did that?”

Both girls began whispering about whatever drama was happening at school and Rafael rolled his eyes, moving to greet his wife in the kitchen.

“Lunch was nice.” His arm snaked around her waist and Jolie turned to face him.

“That it was.” She pushed up to kiss him, only pulling away when her daughters laughter interrupted the moment—for once not attributed to them. “Isn’t it nice when they get along.”

“Even if it’s at someone else’s expense?”

One of Rafael’s brows quirked higher and Jolie chuckled while patting his chest. “How’s the case Liv called you about?”

Rafael groaned, taking the fruit Jolie had set out to wash in the sink. “You remember that frat, Tau Omega?”

“The one that threw the party where the younger of two sisters went missing?”

“That’s the one. Apparently the Tompkins Square chapter is known as The Rape Factory.”

“Charming.”

The amused smirk might have gone unnoticed if he hadn’t angled toward her to slice a tomato. “They don’t have enough for a case yet, but I’m sure Liv will be in my office tomorrow with three year old stories of drunken he said, she saids.”

“She is persistent.” Rafael paused mid slice to frown at her and Jolie chuckled. “Isn’t a girl being bullied out of pressing charges and another who’s opted for electroshock therapy enough of reasons to go after these guys?”

“Yes, but a victim who won’t come forward and one who’s frying her brain in oder to not remember don’t exactly help me in the courtroom.”

“Still…”

Rafael chuckled with his head shake and finished slicing the tomato. “You know they build a better case when I’m hard on them.”

All kids were accounted for and yet none were home. Allison and Cate were at the McPherson’s and Misael was hanging out with Mason—Jolie had yet to discover who’d won their catapult competition. The house was quiet and Jolie found herself curled up with a book under a blanket on the same couch her eldest had been reading a few days prior.

Rafael smiled as he settled in next to her. “It’s quiet.”

“I sold our children.”

“I assume you got a decent amount for them.”

“Eh…” Jolie shrugged, “it was a packaged deal.”

Rafael chuckled when Allison and Cate entered the apartment and giggled passed them. “That didn’t last long.”

“The contract clearly stated no refunds.”

“Where is our son?”

“Carter’s place, hanging out with Mason.”

“Carter…” The name was grumbled under his breath causing Jolie to furrow her brow.

“He hasn’t acted like an adolescent ass in over a decade.”

Rafael exhaled while rubbing his temples. “One of the guys in the frat accused of assaulting Lindsay is named Carter and I’m projecting.”

“That’s healthy.” Rafael side eyed her and she closed her book. “How’d the girls do?”

“They were believable. Tomorrow I go after the school try to get them to give up the frat.”

“The boys families are donors?” Jolie stood, tugging Rafael up with her and started for the kitchen to figure out what they wanted for dinner.

“Yes.”

Jolie held the door for Rafael to enter the kitchen first. “Big donors?”

“I didn’t go over their financials.”

“Money is motivating, prepare for that.”

“Are you still talking about Tompkins Square?” Allison sat at the counter watching her sister eliminate the need for Jolie to come up with diner ideas.

“She does listen.”

“Yeah,” Rafael frowned, “to things I’d rather her ignore.”

“Whatever,” Allison’s eyes rolled as she sat her phone on the counter, “at least it gives me an idea what schools I don’t want attend.”

“Sadly, if you rule out schools based on sexual assault, you won’t have any schools left to choose from.”

Allison smirked at her mother. “Yes, but I don’t have to attend one that’s complicit in covering it up.”

“You’re a sixth grader using the word complicit…” Jolie eyed her daughter, despite the comment having more to due with the inference Allison had managed with very little information, “Harvard is well within reach.”

“Wait… does that mean I don’t get a choice in schools?”

“Harvard, Brown, Columbia, Cornell… Oxford.”

“No Yale?” Cate chuckled along side her father who’d joined her in chopping vegetables.

Jolie smirked between both of her daughters. “Only if you want to break your grandfathers heart.”

Rafael half smiled, half sighed when Jolie knocked as she entered his office. “I don’t have time for another office tryst even if you picked a more appropriate hour to be inappropriate this time.”

Jolie held up the bag containing the sandwiches she’d brought with her. “The food’s not a ruse this time.” She arranged the sandwiches and chips on the round table, slipping her arm around his waist when he joined her. “I heard about Lindsay.”

“Rollins is taking it harder than anyone.”

“Still…”

Rafael squeezed her before settling into the seat where she’d placed his sandwich. “Taking down the Dean and security officer who helped cover up the fraternity’s actions is helping.”

"SVU moves on and you’re left to tie up the loose ends.”

Rafael smirked while peeling back the wrapping on his dinner. “This is the fun part.”

“What, watching them squirm when they realize they aren’t invincible?”

“Exactly.” His brows playfully raised higher and Jolie chuckled, nudging his thigh with her own.


	9. Traumatic Wound

Jolie sat cuddled close to her husband, a blanket draped over both of them as they watched a movie. It was a lazy Saturday, one where any outdoor plans had been derailed by rain. Neither Jolie or Rafael had minded though. The kids were quietly doing their own things and they were taking advantage of the downtime.

“Hey mom.”

Rafael paused the film, both of their attention moving to their middle child. “Yes Cate.”

“If I wanted to see a concert, could I?”

“As long as you don’t mind your mom tagging along until you’re a little older.” Rafael eyed his wife, but she ignored him. “Who’d you want to see?”

“Taylor Swift.”

Jolie elbowed her husband when he chuckled. “I’ll see if Jack Maxwell has access to decent tickets.” She’d spent the majority of her life paying at the door to see bands—pushing her way up to the front or letting loose in the pit—this would definitely be a new experience.

“Allison, Riley, and Emma want to go too.”

“None of the boys?”

Jolie smirked when Cate rolled her eyes. “Logan called it a chick-fest and Mason and Cy went along with it. Eli might want to go though, he wouldn’t say one way or the other with Logan there.”

“Can you determine a headcount?”

“Yeah,” Cate grinned, “thanks mom.”

“No problem.”

Rafael didn’t lift the remote as their daughter scampered back up the stairs, he didn’t move at all, just eyed her humorously from her peripheral.

“What?”

“You hate Taylor Swift.” He’d bit back a chuckle and Jolie rolled her eyes.

“I don’t hate Taylor Swift.” Rafael smiled around the lip he’d bitten in an attempt to dampen the outward appearance of his amusement. “I’m mean, I wouldn’t intentionally sit down and listen to her, but I wouldn’t flip the station in disgust if she were to come on the radio either.”

“You don’t listen to the radio.”

Jolie grinned at the truth behind that statement. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d flipped through radio stations… sometime before iPods and smart phones she’d assume. Every song she could ever want was stored on her phone and with the convenience of modern technology she could play those songs wirelessly in the car she was driven around in or through speakers at work and at home. If anyone annoyed people with their music it was her. “I like to be in control of what I listen to.”

“And what everyone else listens to…”

“I’m the cool mom who listens to punk music.”

Rafael chuckled as he tugged her closer. “None of your kids see it that way.”

“Eh,” her shoulders shrugged as best they could against his side, “I like what I like.”

“Are you going to see if Sarah wants to chaperone with you?”

“That’s not a bad idea… I think she actually likes Taylor Swift.”

Rafael eyed his wife as she flipped to the next page in the book she’d purchased for herself as an early birthday present. _Let’s Explore Diabetes With Owls._ The title itself meant nothing to him, but it was written by one of her favorites authors and she kept giggling to herself so he assumed it was enjoyable.

“Can I help you?” She didn’t lift her eyes from the book, but from her tone he knew he’d been caught staring at her.

“All those shows you used to go to… did you always feel safe?”

Jolie’s brow furrowed as she marked her spot. “You used to go with me, did you feel safe?”

Rafael rolled his eyes. “Yes, but I never got in the pit, you apparently did when I wasn’t around.”

“Is this about your case?”

“What other reason would I have to randomly bring up the shows you attended in the nineties?”

Jolie chuckled and sat the book on her nightstand. “I always felt safe.”

“Even in the pit?”

“I don’t know if times have changed or if certain music attracts different kinds of people, but mine was a pick you up if you fell kind of crowd. I once saw a giant of a man with a tri hawk and four inch spikes on his shoulders lift up a guy who’d fallen with one hand so he didn’t get trampled during a circle pit,” Jolie made eye contact with her husband, “if it had been me that fallen, more than one guy would have stopped to help.”

“You don’t know that for certain.”

“No, but I feel pretty safe in that assumption. I can’t even begin to count how many pits I’ve participated in and I’ve never once been groped. A lead singer of a band I no longer listen to tried to look down my shirt as I hugged the stage, smirking at me when I buttoned up the flannel I’d worn over my tank top, but that’s the only time anything like that ever happened.”

“Ok. But what if somehow your top had slipped and you’d been exposed?”

Jolie lifted her brow challengingly. “A girl my brother was dating got topless along with one of her friends on stage at a _Sloppy Seconds_ show. They made out while touching and licking each other, putting on quite the show. The audience was mostly guys and yet miraculously, no one assaulted them once they got off the stage.” Sarcasm thickly weighed down her words so he let his comment on the bands name go. “We did spend the evening in the ER, but that adventure had nothing to with their stage act. Some guy who was crowd surfing flew off the crowd, accidentally kicking Lauren in the head on his path to the ground. The kick was hard enough to knock her out momentarily and we wanted to make sure she didn’t have a concussion before taking her home.”

“None of that helps me make sense of my case.”

“It’s proves that the guys you’ve charged really are sick fucks that need to be sentenced to the most prison time you can give them. Normal people don’t assume they can violate someone simply because they saw her breast.”

Rafael smirked and slipped his arm around her waist, tugging her closer. “What else have you never told me about the shows you spent so much time at?”

Jolie chuckle, leaning into his side. “I’ve seen way more of the lead singer of _The Real McKenzies_ than I ever wanted to.”

“How so?”

“He wears a kilt… traditionally, and likes to do high kicks on stage.”

“Still?”

Jolie shrugged, she hadn’t been to a show in years and had no idea if The Real McKenzies were even still touring, much less if the lead singer still wore a kilt. The use of the present tense was mostly because she didn’t like thinking of her youth as that distant in the past.

“Ok.” Cate settled across the counter from her mother as she cleaned the dishes from dinner. “Emma, Riley, Allison, Eli, and me.”

“You all what?”

“Want to go to Taylor Swift… we talked about this. Tickets go on sale next week.”

Jolie laughed at the exasperated tone her daughter had used. “And I promise I’ll get them. I just needed more context than a list of names.”

“Did you want help?”

Jolie scanned the the kitchen that had two plates left to rinse before placing into the dishwasher. “Now that I’m almost finish?” She smirked at Cate. “I’m good.”

Cate rolled her eyes and grabbed the spray and a couple paper towels to wipe down the table. “You went to concerts when you were younger right?”

“Shows, but yes.”

“What’s the difference?”

“Smaller venues, less production… no barricades.”

“Barricades?”

“I preferred to hug the stage at shows, not a metal barrier placed five feet from the stage.” Jolie grumbled, she’d been to plenty of venues with a barricade as well.

“Sounds fun…”

Jolie cut her eyes at her daughters sarcastic tone, muttering under her breath. “More fun than the concert you want to go to…”

“What?”

“Nothing.” Jolie smiled, slipping the last dish in place.

Cate moved back to the counter, spraying the section across from Jolie before wiping it down. “Did the fact that your bands played smaller venues give you the opportunity to meet any of them?”

“It did on occasion. They also weren’t so big they couldn’t hangout by the march stand or grab a beer at the bar before or after their set.”

Cate nodded thoughtfully. “What about _Lagwagon_ and that guy dad still teases you for having a crush on?”

Jolie chucked to herself as she nodded. “Your dad met him once too, but just to clarify, I no longer have a crush on Joey Cape.”

“But you did?”

“The crush was a hold over from before I met your father and I’m not even sure I’d ever consider it a crush. I thought he was attractive and liked his lyrics enough for an infatuation to form. The brief encounter I had with the man proved he was as decent of a human as I’d thought he was, but not enough to actually know him or anything.”

“What’s you favorite _Lagwagon_ song?”

Jolie’s eyes widened at the daunting question proposed by her daughter. “ _Give It Back, Choke, Tragic Vision, Bombs Away, Know It All, Island Of Shame_ … I could go on. The album _Resolve_ holds a pretty solid place in my heart, but it’s not just _Lagwagon_. I love all three _Bad Astronaut_ albums, Joey Cape’s acoustic stuff… if he’s singing, I’ll listen. Hell, I love when he talks on various _Me First and the Gimme Gimmes_ songs,” Jolie smiled when Cate rolled her eyes, “but that’s mainly because it’s usually funny. The _Boys To Men_ cover where he sounds like a surfer who’d say dude at the end of every sentence cracks me up every time.” _Take A Break_ was her favorite _Me First_ album.

“No wonder dad still teases you.”

Jolie chuckled. “I’m happily married and find your father much more attractive, I always have. That doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the music Joey Cape has helped create over the years.”

“Would you have listened if you hadn’t found him attractive?”

“I found _Lagwagon_ in an age before everyone shared every detail of their day on social media. I listened to them for a good year before I knew what they looked like. I’d never listen to something solely because I found the person singing attractive.”

“Do you think Jack Maxwell could swing some kind of backstage access?” Cate’s eagerness showed through her facial features and Jolie knew her moment of reminiscing had passed.

“I’m sure that all depends on Taylor Swift’s schedule and availability. He knows people who know people… he’s not friends with her agent.”

Jolie followed her daughter as she skipped out of the kitchen, Cate venturing upstairs to find her sister while she continued on to the home office. It was too late to call Jack Maxwell, so she planned to set a reminder to call him in the morning. It was a task she could do from pretty much anywhere, but she knew the office was where she’d find her husband.

“Cate gave me a headcount for the concert they want to attend.” Jolie sank into her desk chair, angling herself so she could see Rafael. “Thankfully Sarah agreed to go with me… hours of pop music, lights, and dancing isn’t exactly my ideal form of entertainment.”

“Says the woman who dragged me to watch countless bands play with less theatrics.” He didn’t lift his head from the book he was reading as he turned to the next page.

“We hung out with friends while listening to music.”

“Your music and friends.”

“You’re just discounting that sixteen year friendship with Tom then?” Rafael cut his eyes from the page he was reading and Jolie smiled. “I also dragged you to see bands you liked.”

“You get excited once about seeing Elliott Smith and suddenly it’s bands…”

Jolie chuckled when his nose returned to the book in his effort to fight off his grin. “That girl’s friends set her up?”

“To be humiliated…” He was still reading, he’d always been able to read and hold a conversation simultaneously. “Is our children’s school full of manipulative brats who’ve been handed everything?”

“Ouch.”

“I don’t mean you, obviously.”

“Just my friends.”

Rafael’s brow was furrowed when it lifted from the book again. “The only people from that school you enjoy talking to are Casey and Blake.”

“Yeah… most of my other classmates annoyed me.” Rafael’s head shook on its path back to his book. “The school offers opportunities, but you’ve met the kids our kids hang out with… they’re a good group.”

“Their close friends…”

“Our kids may carry the name Barba, but Rutherford still holds a lot of weight for them. No one messes with my father. You remember the threat he made to Carter about burying his fathers business if he ever acted out of line again?” Rafael nodded cutting his eyes to hers once more. “That threat wasn’t empty.”

“I never thought it was.”

“My dad the nicest person unless you cross him, once that happens he can be pretty cutthroat. I have no shame in using his tactics when it comes to our children. If someone attempted to bully, humiliate, or pressure one of our kids, I’d have a little chat with their parents. It wouldn’t take much more than that to rectify the situation… our little family’s powerful.”

“And if our daughter is the bully?”

Jolie smirked, mostly because his use of daughter hadn’t been plural. “Then Allison would have her own come to Jesus moment. You really think she’s capable of being mean to someone? She teases, but she’s a good kid.”

The corners of Rafael’s lips lifted as his attention shifted to the page he’d been reading. “I thought Catalina was the good one?”

“Everyone knows I’m the only one Allison picks on.”

“She gets that from me.” His eyes didn’t lift that time and Jolie found herself leaning forward to determine what he was reading. It was pointless at the angle he was holding the book so she stood, moving across the desk from him and pushed up on the spine in order to read it. “ _All The Kings Men_?”

“Cohen, the defense attorney, handed it to me after my witness with PTSD explained how Amaro helped him piece his memory back together.”

“A Humpty Dumpty reference…” Jolie softly chuckled, “clever. Why are you reading it?”

“It’s a fairly elaborate play for a quick quip.”

“You’re searching for a deeper meaning?”

“I doubt Cohen assumed I’d have the time to read it.”

Jolie shook her head with her latest chuckle. “And you want him to know that you did.” She didn’t need to look to know Rafael’s silence was accompanied by a smirk, but she did anyway. “Are you coming to bed soon?”

“I’ll be up momentarily,” he tilted the book toward her, “I only have ten pages left.”

Jolie paused at the door to look back at her husband. “I’m not sure how it helps your case, but your book revolves around the idea that all actions have consequences and that it’s impossible to stand back and merely observe unfolding of events.”

Rafael eyed her curiously. “You’ve read it?”

“Long before I met you.” Jolie smirked, her shoulders dropping when his phone buzzed.

He stared at the screen, his brows lifting after following the link to the video Liv had sent him. “I guess all actions do have consequences…”

“How so?”

“SVU found the video my witness claimed to have seen being filmed during Cohen’s cross,” his lips tugged up satisfactory, “the one we wouldn’t have known about if Cohen hadn’t tried to discredit him. It confirms Frank’s account piece by piece.”

“Frank?”

“My witness.”

Jolie smiled when Rafael lifted the book once more. “Looks like you can put Humpty Dumpty back together again.”


	10. Her Negotiation/Surrender Benson

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I included Surrender Benson to avoid a cliffhanger since my story doesn't exactly revolve around Benson. I didn't include anything after the two month time jump mid-episode. Barba isn't in Surrender Benson and forcing the time jump within a chapter felt odd.

Jolie made herself comfortable next to Rafael in one of the larger spaces meant for entertaining on Blake and Casey’s Yacht. Sarah, Tom, Carter, and Lemon were seated on various white and blue cushions as well, the owners of the vessel discussing the days outing with the captain.

“We haven’t even left port and the kids are already in the hot tub.”

Rafael’s gaze followed Sarah’s out the rear window to the sun deck. “I hate summer.” Both of his daughters had worn bikinis under the sundresses that were now crumpled on deck chairs and were sitting on the ledge of the hot tub, only their lower legs submerged.

“Right there with you,” Tom grumbled, “and school hasn’t let out yet.”

Riley was sitting next to Cate in a swimsuit that would have been identical had it not been a different color. Emma’s suit was still a two piece, but her top was a long-sleeved crew style covering more of her than a one piece would have.

“You should have seen the suit I vetoed buying for your eldest.”

Jolie smirked when Rafael closed his eyes while pushing air through his nostrils. He’d seen the swimsuits Jolie hadn’t worn around her parents. “God help us when she’s old enough to shop on her own.”

“Didn’t our girls spend the day being driven around to various shops by your car service last weekend?”

Rafael’s eyes widened at Toms words. “They did, didn’t they…”

Jolie smirked at the wheels clearly turning within her husbands mind. “No.”

“No what? I didn’t say anything.”

“You’re clearly thinking and whatever it is, the answers no.” Jolie chuckled.

“Just a little peek through her room?”

“So she no longer trust to confide in us what little she does? No.”

Everyone chuckled at Rafael’s grumble, even Carter and Lemon whose daughter’s choice in swimsuit had more to due with inheriting her mothers fair skin than a style preference. Mason, like Carter, had no issue tanning. Both Lemon and Emma burned without really retaining color, a physical trait that put them both at an increased risk of skin cancer. It was something Lemon had family history of leaving the twins lathered in sunscreen and monitored for sun exposure.

“The water’s still a little chilly to get any of the toys out so I thought we’d take a tour of the city from sea.” Blake smiled, settling in next to Jolie while Casey shifted closer to the bar.

“I’m pretty confident on the guys preference, but what do the girls want today?”

Jolie was the most fickle of the group when it came to drinks, never sticking to one drink in particular for any length of time that could be considered consistent. And while that capriciousness often left her indecisive, on this particular day that wasn’t the case. “I want a margarita.”

“Actually,” Sarah, who normally opted for wine, perked up, “that sounds really good.”

“Yeah, go ahead a make a pitcher.” Blake added as her husband shifted behind the bar.

“Maybe two.” Lemon smiled.

Casey humorously shook his head while starting on the mixed drinks. “You want these frozen or on the rocks?”

“Whatever’s easiest.” Blake shrugged.

“Hey Carter come pour the scotch will you? I’ve got a Macallan on the shelf back here.”

High pitched laughter was heard along with the revving of boat engines as the group of old friends—of various degree—and their offspring departed from land. Jolie had spent a lot of her life on yachts, mostly ones belonging to Blake and Casey’s respective families. The mode of transportation had never really been an interest to her father and by extension she never felt the urge to own one. It also felt unnecessary since the only time she was ever even thought about being on one was when Blake invited them along.

The warmth from the sun beating down on her suddenly diminished. Jolie peeked through slitted eyes to find the cause. “You’re in my sun.”

Rafael chuckled down at his wife. “Now I see why the kids were scared inside.”

The four women glared at him from their loungers, Lemon the only one having pulled hers to the shade.

Jolie eyed the refilled pitcher he held as though it wasn’t obviously for them. “Casey sent you?”

“He didn’t send me, merely taking advantage of the fact that I was already heading this way.”

She could tell from his tone he’d been called. “I really hate your work sometimes…”

“I know, but Rollins sounded pretty desperate.”

“Rollins? I thought it was usually Liv that called.”

“Liv or Cragen. Rollins apparently called everyone. She’s pretty hyped up about this Lewis guy she’s dragged in and wasn’t taking no for an answer. Casey’s launching the dinghy and I’ve already called for a car to meet us at the nearest pier.”

Jolie frowned with her nod. “Ok, wear that rain coat this time. The water’s cold and you remember how wet it can get on that miserable little boat when the wind picks up.”

“Definitely not repeating that mistake.” The last time he’d been on the tiny vessel, his shirt had been soaked through by the time they’d made it to land.

She climb off the lounger to say goodbye, running her hand up her husband’s chest when his hand came to rest on the skin of her lower back. “I’ll see you tonight.”

He kissed her, groaning softly when she deepened it. “Rollins better have something worth dragging me to the precinct.” Jolie smiled and patted his chest, but he’d been serious. He’d been enjoying the day off with his family, not to mention staring at the only woman living under his roof he didn’t mind owning a bikini. Jolie’s swimsuits weren’t anywhere near scandalous anymore, if anything they were modest in her efforts to hide her slightly fuller midsection—a testament to the fact that she’d at one time bore children. It was her complaint, not his. He wouldn’t have noticed at all if she hadn’t pointed it out every time she didn’t like the way something fit. Most days he didn’t noticed she’d aged at all, but of course she had… they both had. “I’ll text once I have an idea of how late I’ll be.”

“You better.” Jolie smirked, swatting his ass when he turned to leave only to giggle at his head shake.

Rafael stared at the legal pad that he hadn’t written anything new on in over an hour. He had very few witnesses, two of which were only in the country temporarily, and a fairly weak case to take to court.

“Mr. Barba?”

He’d lifted his head when she initially knocked. “Yes Carmen?”

“Jolie brought you lunch.”

His lip tightened to hide his smile. “Send her in.” Carmen nodded, stepping out of the way so Jolie could enter and slipping out behind her. “Slow day?”

“Not really, but I had time for lunch and you got in late last night.” She’d still been awake when he entered their bedroom, but fell asleep as soon as she known he was home.

“And came in early this morning…”

“I take it arraignment court didn’t go so well.” She’d known he’d offered time served and community service in hopes of getting DNA into CODUS.

“His attorney was on board, but Lewis refused to plead guilty, Liv and Rollins are convinced he’s hiding something, and I’m now attempting to build a case with little to no evidence.”

Jolie pulled three boxes from the bag she was carrying containing the food from his favorite Cuban restaurant. When he worked long hours he had a tendency to fuel himself with coffee and handfuls of snacks. Breakfasts were forgone for an early start and lunches skipped as he stubbornly remained planted at his desk. “Why would he refuse a plea that basically lets him walk?”

Rafael stretched as he stood to join her. “That’s the million dollar question. Rollins thinks it’s to keep his DNA out of the system, but he probably knows that once the tourist leave the country the case will be dropped.”

“He lives in a halfway house, is between jobs, and has enough understanding if the law to know his case will be dropped?” Jolie’s brow arched as her curiosity peaked.

“I told them to keep digging.”

Jolie chuckled and handed him a set of plasticware. “You hate this guy.”

“You should have seen him with his lawyer, some fresh out of law school eager to prove herself legal aide attorney…”

“Friendly?” Jolie had an idea of the type of defendant Rafael was up against.

“Too friendly. Lewis is smart and manipulative…”

“The kind of guy who beats his wife behind closed doors, but is loved by the public… I get it.” The connection she’d made had more to due with her line of work than the case itself, but it was a similar enough analogy.

“What’s going on at The Rutherford Foundation?” He may as well take a break from his work while he could—sometimes it cleared his mind enough to come up with fresh ideas.

“Lemon stopped by this morning.”

“Really?” This time his brows peaked with curiosity.

“Not about Carter,” Jolie chuckled, “she brought a friend from that charity she sits on the board of, the one her mother used to run…” Rafael nodded that he didn’t need more context. “Anyway, the woman works with her and they were at lunch when her husband called… Lemon picked up on a few oddities and asked a handful of pretty tough questions. They spent the morning with me discussing options. Her husband’s a pretty prominent figure and I know he won’t want the negative attention associated with a messy divorce so I set her up with a discrete lawyer who specializes in wording divorce settlements in terms that make men like that understand it’s in their best interest to cut ties. In the meantime she’s been moved to a hotel on the foundations dime.”

“Physical?” Jolie nodded. “Anyone I know?”

“Jon Matthews.”

“The congressman?”

“Electability is a factor going forward and she’s not within his reach. He’ll sign off on the divorce.”

Rafael exhaled audibly through his nose. “You have had a busy morning.”

“I took the initial meeting, my staff handled the rest.”

Rafael smiled when she shrugged her morning off as though it was simply another day in the office. The smile was quickly replaced with slumped shoulders when his phone rang. “Barba.” He glanced at the half eaten meal, his attention shifting to his wife who intuitively started closing the lid on her lunch. He held his hand up to stop her as Liv updated him on the newest events pertaining to Lewis. “Ok,” he nodded, “call me when he’s picked up.”

“You don’t have to go?”

“Lewis raped and tortured one of my witnesses for eighteen hours, her neighbor called it in this morning. It changes my case, but there’s nowhere to go until he’s picked up.”

Jolie exhaled with her nod. “That escalated quickly.”

“If Rollins instincts are right… this isn’t an escalation.”

“You want to bounce ideas off me while we eat?”

Rafael smirked and grabbed a blank legal pad. Jolie had never intentionally set out to study law, but Jolie was smart and had picked up enough over the years of being married him to be helpful. She’d bring up counter points or question legal theories in ways that prompted research to ensure his interpretation was grounded. It wasn’t something they did much anymore, but had always strengthened his cases in the past. “All of this could change once Lewis’ has been interrogated.”

“Then you scratch what won’t work and keep what does.”

Rafael hadn’t seen his kids in two days. By the time he’d made it home they were in bed—as was Jolie—and since his kids rarely rose before the sun he’d also left before they’d woken. Aside from the lunch they’d shared Jolie had barely seen him either and while she knew he was busy, she also knew he needed to eat.

“Are you at the office?”

“Precinct.”

Jolie frown at the response. It didn’t mean she couldn’t bring him lunch, just that she couldn’t stick around and eat with him. “I’m bringing you a sandwich from that deli we like, see if anyone else wants something.”

Jolie had two plastic bags and her purse hanging from one arm, the second free to push call buttons and open doors. Her legs weren’t exactly long, but she walked quickly—an attribute of growing up in the city—and always appeared to move with purpose. Even when standing still on the elevator she looked as though she were ready to move again.

The bullpen was somewhat busy, but she easily located the group animately discussing the case by a bulletin board. Jolie quietly slipped in beside her husband, waiting for a lull in the conversation.

“Are you joining us?” Liv was the first to address her directly.

“No, just ensuring he eats something of substance, not just coffee and whatever snack he happens walks past.” She’d have eaten with him if he’d been in his office, but watching other people work wasn’t her idea of fun. It also felt intrusive. She handed the bag of sandwiches to Rafael, exhaling as her eyes scanned the board containing information on Lewis. “I take it you won’t be home for dinner.”

Rafael sighed and shook his head. “Tell Cate I haven’t forgotten about helping her outline her presentation, but it may have to wait until this weekend.”

“Your kids are well aware you keep your commitments.” Jolie patted his chest as she pushed up to kiss him.

“You’re married?”

“It’s actually kind of nice to know they don’t talk about me.” Rafael whispered while squeezing Jolie slightly into his side.

“Oh we talk,” Rollins smirked, “it’s just usually unrelated to your personal life.”

Rafael rolled his eyes before turning to the only person in the group that hadn’t met his wife. “Captain Cragen, this is my wife, Jolie.”

“It’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.” Jolie smiled, shaking the hand offered to her.

“Are we eating here?” Nick asked, gesturing to the table they’d been standing around for the past half hour.

“May as well.” Fin shrugged.

The groups started shifting files to make room to work and eat simultaneously, Rafael handing the bag off when Liv moved closer.

“Thanks for this.” Liv smiled, lifting the bag slightly higher.

“No problem.” Jolie nodded, turning back to her husband when Liv’s attention shifted to passing food around the table. “Will I see you tonight or just the groggy notion that you’ve crawled in bed as I nod off.”

His bottom lip pushed up and she knew the answer before he spoke. “Most likely the latter.”

“Be careful.”

“I always am.” Rafael smiled, relenting to one last kiss before she slipped out of his grasp.

Rafael’s shoulders dropped along with the briefcase he placed on his desk. It was early, far earlier than he ever made it home midweek, but the case had taken a tole on everyone and was basically over.

“A mistrial.” He grumbled to himself, turning to the bottle of scotch stored on the console behind his desk. He didn’t fill the tumbler, opting for just enough of the amber liquid to take the edge off. “Idiot.”

He truthfully didn’t know who he was referencing; the judge even though defense council’s findings about the lab mixing up the samples had proven true, defense council herself for posting bond, or himself for not seeing it coming. Though who would’ve been prophetic enough to think William Lewis would catch the breaks he had. Even taking into account the way things had worked out in Lewis’ favor in years past, it was unexpected. They were supposed to have been crossing all those T’s and dotting all those I’s. Who would have guessed their witness would die of a heart attack and the lab would cross contaminate DNA samples.

Rafael took a long sip, killing off half his drink in one go while staring at the closed briefcase. He’d gone over the prospect of a retrial multiple times since court let out, but just as he told Liv when he’d called with the update on Lewis’ trial—or lack thereof—he didn’t have a case. He took a breath and shook his head, killing off the last of the scotch in time to hear voices filling the space outside the office.

“Allison!” He smiled at the exasperation in Jolie’s voice. “Take your backpack upstairs.”

“I’ve got homework.” The youngest Barbas had found their way to the kitchen. Cabinet doors were opening and closing, then the fridge. It was far too much noise for one of his kids to make independently.

“That doesn’t explain its presence in the walkway.”

“I’ll move it after I get something to drink.”

There was nothing yelled back from his wife, just the visual of her muttering under her breath as she joined him in the office. “Is this what after school sounds like everyday?”

The corners around Jolie’s eyes crinkled at his words. She hadn’t noticed him until he’d spoken but always found his amusement adorable. “On days we get home at the same time.” She’d skipped out early as well. “Are we day drinking?”

Rafael tilted the glass while glancing at it, sighing and setting it on the tray again. “The judge declared a mistrial.”

“But you’ll retry…”

Rafael shook his head. “I have no DNA, no victim… there’s nothing to take to a new trial.” Jolie nodded and lifted the bottle of scotch, refilling his glass to almost the same level he’d had before. “I wasn’t planning on a second.”

Jolie smiled and lifted the glass higher. “It’s been a long couple weeks and my father’s built your tolerance up enough to handle two drinks.” Rafael smirked and took the drink from her. “Come help me annoy your children into making a dinner decision when you’re finished.”

“I thought Allison had homework.” Rafael chuckled when she moved toward the door.

“She can still help decide where to eat.”

Jolie forced the napkin sitting next to Misael’s plate into his hand so he’d place it in his lap. The eye roll was noted, but she held her tongue. The two girls had been easy to teach table manners, both taking to it without much of a fight. Cy had no interest. He didn’t rest his elbows or leave his napkin on the table intentionally, he’d simply forget, leaving Jolie to feel like a nagging mother.

“What kept you at work so late this week?”

Rafael took a breath and patted Allison’s shoulder. “Nothing I want to talk about.”

“Now, or ever?”

“Ever.”

Allison glared at her father, and while she didn’t, she may as well have Rolled her eyes. “I’m not a child.”

“Keep telling yourself that.” Rafael chuckled.

“Will I ever be old enough to hear about the interesting cases?”

Rafael’s lip twitched higher. “Your idea of interesting is skewed and no.”

“That’s so not fair.”

Cate leaned in closer to her sister. “That means it’s either really interesting or really twisted,” she glanced at her father, smiling when he frowned, “possibly both.”

“How’d you do on your math test?” Jolie had seen details of the case and felt Rafael needed a break. “Ms. Keller said she have it graded pretty quickly, right?”

“Uh…” The color drained from Cate’s face. She’d never been able to hide her emotions. “Not great.”

“How not great?”

“I passed.”

Her upbeat spin was quickly squashed by Allison’s chuckled interjection. “Barely…”

“Thanks.” Cate muttered.

“I thought you were feeling more confident with the material.” Struggling in math was not something Jolie could comprehend and it turned out she wasn’t the greatest teacher despite being extremely proficient in the subject. Much like her youngest, math came easily to her, and she found explaining it to someone who had no interest in the subject frustrating.

“I was, I just didn’t study as much as I should have.”

“I’m hiring a tutor this summer.”

Cate’s eyes widened. “Please don’t. I’ll work really hard for the rest of the school year. I know I can pull a solid B if I apply myself. Don’t make me do math over the summer.”

Jolie, who’d never made a B in her life, stared at her daughter. Taking a moment to breath before she placed her own self imposed expectations on her children. She’d been a high strung student, always putting more pressure on herself than necessary while striving for perfection. In hindsight, a B on an assignment or two wouldn’t have been the end of the world, things would have still averaged out to all A’s. Still, she wanted her children to thrive, not barely pass, and Cate was more than capable. Jolie couldn’t understand the lack of interest in math. Even Allison, who fought her on everything, enjoyed the subject. “If you get an eighty-three or higher for the year I won’t hirer a tutor, but I will review with you in the weeks before you start sixth grade to ensure you’re ready.” She eyed her middle child. “Deal?”

“Deal.” Cate grumbled.

“When you do end up with a tutor, you should see if Mike Howard is available.” Allison tugged a piece of bread from the basket in the middle of the table. “He’s friends with Toby, a total math genius, and unbelievably gorgeous.”

“I’ll pass…”

“Why on Earth would you pass up the opportunity to spend an hour or so each week with a cute guy?”

“Because I’m ten.”

Allison rolled her eyes. “You’ll be eleven in July.”

“And he’ll be seventeen or something.”

Rafael eyed Jolie, but they both remained silent, letting their daughters bicker amongst themselves.

“I said spend time with the guy, not actually do anything. Don’t you have crushes?”

“Not the same people you have crushes on.”

Allison’s eyes lit up. “But you like someone?”

Cate turned beat red. “No.”

“Oh my god, you do.”

“No I don’t.” The second denial was even less convincing than the first one and Cate shoved a bite of bread into her mouth.

“Who is it?”

“No one.”

“Logan?” Cate glared at her sister. “No, not Logan… James? Bobby?” Allison giggled as Cate shoved more bread into her mouth. “Does Riley know who it is?” Cate’s cheeks flushed pink and Allison giggled again. “I guess not.”

“Is it wrong to find the fact that even Riley doesn’t know comforting?” Rafael smirked, at least until Cate’s unamused eyes met his.

Jolie smiled, but took pity on her daughter and changed the subject. “Did we want to hit up Europe or venture elsewhere for our trip this summer?”

“I’d like to see the pyramids.” The suggestion wasn’t what was expected from their eldest, but Jolie’d take it.

“Or the Mayan ruins.”

Rafael glanced Jolie’s direction at Misael’s suggestion. “They’re suddenly into history.”

Cate chuckled. “I’d like to go to Greece, but not just for the history.”

Jolie smiled and shook her head. “Why don’t the three of you narrow it down to a continent and get back to me.”

They’d escaped to their bedroom much earlier than usual, mostly in an effort to evade the chaos created by the three children that had taken over the living room. The home was large by normal standard, huge in New York, and somehow voices filled the entire downstairs portion of their home.

Jolie cuddled closer to him as he read on the bed, laying her own book face down in her lap. Her hand trailed up his chest and she grinned when his eyes cut her direction.

“You know the second you start something one of our spawns will interrupt.”

Her hand pause—because he was right—but she still smiled. “Can’t we not lock the door and ignore them?”

Rafael chuckled. “I may need a day or two to process anyway.”

“His crimes were that bad?”

His chest expanded under her hand, slowly shrinking with his exhale. “You saw the board SVU put together.”

“I did, but I also know you’ve seen worse.” It wasn’t a comment to reinstate her derailed intentions—the statement about their children had more or less sank that ship.

The arm slipped around her tightened, pressing her securely along his side. “It’s not so much the crimes themselves, though I will say the pieces you saw on the board needed context I’m not sure you received. It’s more that he’s manipulative, smart, ruthless, and free to do it again.” His lips flattened when made eye contact. “Add he will.”

“And now he’s been emboldened.”

“It’s usually what happens when accountability is continually circumvented.”

Jolie thought for a moment, her head resting on his chest. “You think he’ll go after his lawyer?”

His chest lifted with his shrug. “The first victim we have knowledge of was the mother of his ex-girlfriend. She’d apparently tried to break them up so he raped and tortured her. Then when his girlfriend, the lawyer on the trial where he raped and tortured a pair of roommates, tried to end their relationship so he tortured and killed her. Now Alice Parker,” Rafael’s eyes cut to Jolie’s, “she was our witness in the flashing case and willing to testify against him. He spent eighteen hours burning and branding and doing unspeakable things to her body… I don’t know who’ll it’ll be next, his lawyer or someone else. I do know that whoever it is, it’ll be personal.”

Jolie phone buzzed against the reflective surface of the expensive wooden table in one of the many conference rooms of Rutherford Enterprise. The phone was lifted without care for who noticed. She always had multiple things going on at once, as did most everyone at the table, a quick glance at a screen was hardly out of the norm.

“He took Liv.”

Three little words were all that had been sent and while Jolie wished she’d needed more context, she hadn’t. She glanced around the boardroom settling on her father sitting at the head of the table with Ian second chair. While it was Ian who’d taken over as CEO when her father shifted his role to his role to chairman, Jolie still sat on the board. The company was structured so that both siblings would retain equal shareholdings, giving Jolie as much say in the direction of Rutherford Enterprise as Ian. This worked out for two reasons; one, her father still had final say and two, she had no real interest in running the company. She sat in on board meetings to stay up to date on current matters and to interject her opinion if she didn’t agree with something—it was rare, but it happened.

“I’m heading your way.”

Jolie quietly slipped out of her chair, pointing to her phone when her dad glanced her way. She’d get a copy of the minutes and read through them later, in that moment she wanted to be with Rafael. He had a tendency to put blame on himself when trials didn’t work out the way he wanted and with the relationships she knew he was building with SVU, especially Liv since she seemed to be the one who called most often, Jolie didn’t want him to stew alone.

The blinds were pulled, but she could hear the shuffling of objects and occasional slamming of drawers through his open office door as she approached Carmen’s desk. “He been in a mood for a while now?”

Carmen actually looked relieved to see Jolie, her shoulders flinching as another cabinet slammed shut. “Almost an hour.”

Jolie smirked at the woman Rafael had nothing but complimentary things to say about. He’d still had to micromanage his previous assistant after five years, Carmen was intuitive. Sometimes scarily so. “Wish me luck.”

Carmen chuckled, her shoulders visibly relaxing as Jolie passed her desk.

“You know you sound more intimidating than you actually are when you’re act like this.”

Rafael turned to find Jolie leaning against the doorframe at the threshold to his office. “Intimidation has its moments.”

The response had been grumbled causing Jolie to chuckle as she slipped the door shut behind her. “I assumed the cabinet door had it coming.”

“I’m just looking for something I missed to put that bastard away, something I can use to bury him when they find his ass.” He turned, huffily opening a new cabinet.

“And you think you’ll find it on your supply shelf?”

Rafael scanned the stacks of legal pads and post-its, the pens he rarely used and refill inks for the gold Montblanc his mother and abuelita had gifted him upon graduation from law school, his shoulders dropping. “There’s nothing I can actually do is there?”

“Not in this moment.” Jolie had made her way to him and her hand reassuringly pressed against his back. “We can talk.”

Rafael sighed, leaning into her touch. “Two days.”

“Two days?”

“He’s had her two days.” Rafael’s sad eyes met hers. “There’s a sick sort of torment in knowing the details of a crime as it happens.”

“Which only means everyone searching for her is working that much harder.” Jolie guided him to the couch, forcing him to take a moment to breath. The office looked liked he hadn’t been up for a while randomly moving items from one spot to another.

He pulled his phone from his pocket as they sat and it almost immediately buzzed with a text. “Lewis killed a cop, used his car to pull over some else, and then took their car.”

“Where?”

“Long Island. Mayer, his defense attorney, told them that he’d mentioned wanting to go to the beach to clear his head.”

“When did she see him?”

“They apparently spent the day together yesterday and then had dinner with her parents.” Jolie’s brow furrowed at the lack of disgust in his voice. Rafael slipped his hand to her thigh, gently squeezing. “SVU found Mayer’s parents… her father didn’t make it and her mother, she’s alive but…” Jolie knew enough details of Lewis’ crimes that he didn’t need to explain. “He made Liv watch.”

“Makes you wish you knew people who could make people disappear, doesn’t it?”

“I’ve kind of always assumed your family did.”

Jolie’s knitted brow met his. “I come from a family of wealth, not a mob family. The Rutherfords are extremely law abiding and always have been.”

“I just meant that I figured you knew people who knew people or something.”

Jolie snuggled closer, curling her legs beneath her on the couch. “Believe me, if I knew where to hirer a hitman a lot of the people you’ve prosecuted would be dead.”

“That might draw suspicion…”

She chuckled and patted his thigh. “It’s a good thing I don’t know where to find one then.”

Rafael glanced at his wife as a small smile formed, the first all day. When he’d texted her, the intention hadn’t been for her end up in his office but he was glad she was there. This was one of those situations where he could do absolutely nothing except wait for an update. He was used to being in control or his work day or at the very least being able to prepare for worst case scenarios. All he could do while he waited for an update on Liv was worry and fret over what he could have done differently.

They stayed on his couch, quietly sitting in comfortable silence. She was the only person whose mere presence could calm him, but truth be told, that particular ability worked both ways. Neither of them would have been able to account for time when his phone buzzed again. Rafael sighed, continuing to run his fingers lightly through her hair as he lifted it high enough to read. “They found her.”

“Liv?”

“Yeah, she’s been through hell but alive.”

“And Lewis?”

Rafael sent a quick text back to Rollins who’d been keeping him updated. “Beaten within an inch of his life.” He held the response up for her to see that he’d read it word for word.

Jolie took a breath and knocked on the door of the address she’d been given, steeling herself as she waited. It wasn’t a long wait, the door cracking open to reveal the eyes of a manpeering out at her.

“Can I help you?”

It wasn’t that she’d given much though to what Liv’s boyfriend would look like, but for some reason the man whose eyes became increasingly narrowed the longer she stood there hadn’t been expected. “Are you Brian Cassidy?”

“I am, why?”

“I was looking for Olivia Benson.”

Brian quickly glanced over his shoulder. “She’s not really up for company right now.”

“Of course,” Jolie fished a card from her purse, “I just wanted to leave a resource with her.”

“Jolie?” The question came from somewhere within the apartment and Jolie nodded in response.

“Yeah, Liv,” Brian’s head disappeared behind the door, “it’s Jolie.”

“Let her in.”

Jolie gave him a short nod when Brian opened the door enough for her to enter, her attention settling on the woman who resembled in looks only, the person she’d encountered before. “I know I’m the last person you expected to randomly show at your door and I doubt my reasoning is something you’re ready to discuss…”

“Then why are you here?”

Jolie handed Liv the card still clutched in her hand. “Because, in my experience, it’s never something someones ready to discuss.”

“You hunted me down to give me the card of a therapist?” Liv’s browed knitted incredulously. “You do realize I have a list of counselors I give out on a regular basis.”

“I do, and I also know that it’s harder to open up to someone you’ve met.” Liv glanced at the card, flipping it between her fingers as Jolie continued. “Lindstorm is the best psychologist in the city and extremely discrete.”

“Sounds expensive…”

“He’s affordable.” It was one of the things Jolie respected about the man, why he lived at the top of her referral list. His focus was in helping people, not price gouging, making him accessible to anyone who came through The Rutherford Foundation. “I’m not pushing Lindstorm on you, you can chose to talk to whoever you want, but you need to talk to someone. I can only speak from the experience of others and I’m not attempting to equate yours to theirs, but the woman in our shelters who focus on the future while talking through their trauma fair far better than the ones who isolate. I yes, I know you know this, but a gentle reminder from the outside never hurts.” Jolie readjusted her purse strap as she stood. “I’ll leave you to process.”

“Will you know if I contact him?” Liv was still flipping the card between her fingers.

“Only if you tell me. Lindstorm doesn’t discuss his patients with anyone and I wouldn’t pry into your personal business… not more than I currently am anyway.”

Liv absentmindedly nodded while staring at the card, leaving Brian to guide Jolie back out of the apartment.“She’s strong, she’ll make it through this.”

“On that, I have no doubt.” Jolie slipped out the door and back down to street level where her car waited, acutely aware of the detail following her. They usually remained out of sight, so much so, that they could be forgotten in their entirety at times, but they were always there. Her children complained about the intrusion and it was times like these that reminded her of their importance.

It wasn’t that she would have been a target of Lewis—their paths had never crossed—more the overall need for security. Rafael was no stranger to the occasional threats and her families wealth and notoriety drew unwanted attention at times. The fact that the detectives still had no idea how Lewis got into Liv’s apartment unnerved her and she found comfort in the number of eyes monitoring her family’s home.

**Author's Note:**

> I have a little less time to write than I used to and a handful of works in progress, so bear with me if this one takes longer to update.


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